San Francisco
by A Shot of Amber
Summary: One summer to change his life. It was the summer of 1967 and that one illfated road trip would introduce him to a whole new culture of people and things that he had never seen before. It would introduce him to a girl with wings like white moon dove. Seren
1. Default Chapter

San Francisco

Chapter One

By A Shot of Amber

Hi! I'm back with a brand new story. This one is set in 1967 in America and mostly has to do with Serena and Darien. I'm basing the story off the song " San Francisco (Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair)" by Scott McKenzie. You can probably find it on any 60's CD or you can defy the music industry and download it. Its all up to you!

Any way please be kind and read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!

San Francisco

Chapter One

It was the last day of high school. Cloaked in navy colored gowns and mortarboard hats my fellow classmates tromped across the stage shaking the principal's hand and accepting rolled up diplomas tied with red ribbon.

And I was one of them.

At graduation I was co-valedictorian so I got to make this big speech all alone by myself on the stage. My partner, the other valedictorian, a pretty girl with waist long red hair went first and talked about us, as people, falling into roles that were assigned to us from birth. After she had finished and sat down, flashing me a brilliant smile, I stood up and walked to the podium, my speech written on a piece of blue lined paper clutched in my hands.

" Today we walk through the gates of childhood and enter the land of adults. It's been a fun journey but now we must take on responsibility and realize what is in front of us."

It was the summer of '67 and a lot of things were going on. The war in Vietnam was raging across the Pacific Ocean taking away the young men of America to fight and die for a country they knew so little about. I was one of those young men. After high school ended and a few weeks had passed I would be due in San Francisco to report for armed duty. I had the choice of college or the army. My mother wanted me to go to college, my dad the army. If I had had my choice it would have been college, a safe haven from war but my dad refused to pay for a liberal arts education as he called it, so I enlisted.

My mother had been saddened by the thought of me going off to war. She had cried and pleaded with my father but he wouldn't budge. He had been a solider also fighting in World War II in the Pacific islands. My mother had been his high school sweetheart whom he married in 1946. I was born in 1950, their only child and from the day of my birth my father thought of me as an army man. I would fight and maybe die for my country and my father would be proud. Never mind what mother thought, I had to be a man. If I ever wanted to please my father, something I had been trying to do for 18 years then I had to be a man.

Darien Shields strode across the stage and accepted his diploma from the principal who shook his hand and gave him a comment on his speech.

" Thank you sir," I replied then kept walking past the other administrators to his seat in the grass. Along the way I shared a high five with my friend Andrew who was sitting in the second row. Some people snickered while a lot of the girls sighed and threw longing smiles at me. I didn't even see this; my eyes were scanning the crowds looking for my parents. Disappointed that I didn't see them I sat down in my seat.

In high school when I looked back in a later time I would admit I was sort of a Casanova. I went on a few dates with girls but the most I have ever done with them was neck in my parent's car at the local drive in. Even though necking is fun, I could never stay with a girl long enough to form a commitment. While the other guys were taking their girlfriends to the prom in puffy pink dresses, I stayed home and studied. Maybe there was a girl out there for me, the kind that would make my heart race. Until then I had better things to worry about like how I was going to spend the time before I went to California.

I was jolted from my thoughts as around me the other students stood up and threw their mortarboards in the air cheering that they were down with high school. I quickly stood up and took off my mortarboard and threw it into the air, a few seconds to late. I caught it in my hand and begin to follow the long line of people walking into the open field to find friends and loved ones. I was the same way; I was heading towards the stands to find my parents when a hand clamped down on my shoulder.

" Great speech man." Andrew patted my back and grinned at me.

I smiled back. " I'm glad you liked it, I thought I had bored the audience when I didn't get half the applause my partner did."

" She only got applause because she was pretty." Andrew shook his head and let go of my shoulder. " So are you going to find your parents?"

" Yea."

" Great I'll come with you, maybe mine and yours sat together," Andrew replied. He started to weave through the crowds leaving me to follow him. Together we walked up to the stands looking around them through the people laughing and talking till I spotted the tall lean body of my father standing next to the shorter form of my mother.

" Mom! Dad!" I waved my arm to get their attention then ran up to them. I swooped his mother into a hug startling her into laughter.

" Oh Darien your speech was wonderful!" Mrs. Shields sighed dabbing a handkerchief at her eyes.

" Great job son," Mr. Shields replied holding out his hand to shake mine.

" Thank you dad." I shook his father's hand and smiled. " Well I'm glad to be done with high school. I'm all over with that kind of stuff."

" And at the proper time, the war is growing so you shouldn't find any problems in serving in armed combat. I bet you could even get a Purple Heart if you get wounded."

" Dad I haven't been out of high school for 15 minutes and your talking about war. I've got time to worry about getting wounded. Right now I just want to relax and hang out with friends."

" Speaking of hanging out with friends," Andrew spoke up, " I was wondering if it would be alright for Darien to come out with the fellows tonight?"

" Oh, I was hoping that Darien would have dinner with the family tonight. Its his first night as an adult and I wanted his to spend it with the family," Mrs. Shields replied.

" Nonsense," Mr. Shields replied gruffly. He was hoping that Darien would find a girl this summer so when he returned from armed combat he would have someone to marry and raise children with so he always encouraged Darien to go out. " The boy can have dinner then go out with his friends and you can join us if you like Andrew."

" I would like that but I'm probably going to be due at home for a celebration with my parents. I can pick you up after dinner," Andrew replied poking me in the arm. "But now I better go, my folks are probably looking for me." Andrew waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.

" Such a nice boy," Mrs. Shields sighed then turned to me and begin to brush off my gown. " What do you say we get out of here and go home? I can fix up some cookies before dinner."

" Thanks mom but I'm not hungry," I replied as I pulled off my mortarboard.

" That's fine, its not a good idea to ruin your appetite," Mrs. Shields replied."

" Now dear leave the boy be and lets get out of here, I want to beat the traffic home," Mr. Shields said has he begin to walk towards the exit of the fields. Mrs. Shields sighed again as if something was bothering her and begin to follow her husband out of the stadium with me behind her.

I turned once and looked through the crowd at my fellow classmates hugging and congratulating each other. I sighed once and followed my parents to the car.

Andrew came by at eight o' clock in his dad's 1964 Ford. Rita sat in the front seat chewing on some bubble gum.

Rita was like the new kind of girl coming out, the hippie. She had long red hair like hippies when other girls had page boys and bubble cuts. Rita wasn't a hippie though; she was one of the smartest girls in the class and the co-valedictorian. She was going to college to become a scientist. Rita didn't want to get married right away like some girls; she was set into a more modern time. Andrew was okay with this, he was going to work in his dad's arcade. Andrew was registered for the draft and said if he was picked he would go. Andrew didn't really care about life. He just floated through it in this happy haze.

I was sometimes so jealous of him. Everyone always said I was too serious. My dad liked that but my mom said I needed to ease up and find someone, a girlfriend would do me good. I didn't have time for a girlfriend in school, maybe tonight I would find one.

With this optimistic thought in my head, I slammed the front door shut and ran down the sidewalk to where Andrew and Rita sat in the car.

" Hey Darien, great speech today!" Rita popped her gum once and smiled at me.

" Thanks Rita." I opened the door and hopped into the back seat. As I shut the door Andrew stepped on the gas and they took off with a roar of the engine.

" So where are we going?" I asked over the roar of the engine.

" Alice's Place. Everyone is going there tonight to celebrate graduation."

Rita laughed. " I heard that Ronnie King will be there berating the school for not graduating him."

" Its his own fault for getting caught at that college party with the keg," Andrew replied.

" Yea but he also got the worst grades in school. Sure he's on the football team but that doesn't mean your going to breeze through school."

" Rita don't worry about Ronnie, its his own fault that he didn't graduate. Tonight we're going to party!" Andrew turned on the radio and turned it up.

" Yuck I hate this song," Rita complained as The Vandellas came on.

" Would you rather listen to Jimmy Hendrix or the Doors?" Andrew asked looking at her.

" The Doors aren't half bad. They were on the Ed Sullivan show," Rita replied.

" They are a drug band, you know psychedelic, not the kind of things we listen too."

I sat back in the back seat and listened to Rita and Andrew fight about music choices. I was used to it, Andrew and I were part of the clean cut gang of kids that ruled the school. The hippie generation was not part of his small town America. Instead it was more like 1963 with Del Shannon playing his guitar and the Beatles saying they want to hold your hand. Rita was not a hippie, she was just as clean cut as Andrew but her music choices were more perverse. While Andrew listened to the Beach Boys, Rita was rocking to The Doors.

Andrew turned into the parking lot of Alice's Place. Already former students, most of them seniors were there eating ice cream and sitting on their cars talking to the others. Girls in flowered skirts with bubble cut hairdos waved to us as we passed. Some even shrieked Rita's name as if they hadn't seen her in weeks instead of just a few short hours. Andrew carefully maneuvered the car into a parking spot and turned off the engine. He climbed out then pushed the seat forward so I could get out. A few girls saw me and started giggling and whispered to each other. I smiled weakly and followed Andrew over to where Rita was. They took each others hand and begin walking over to the girl behind the window while I followed them.

I watched those linked hands. Everyone in school knew that Andrew and Rita were going to get married. They had already decided it when they met in junior high. First Rita would finish college, get her degree then settle down in a good job with Andrew as her husband and maybe a few kids. Me? I would go into the army and spend my days dropping napalm bombs and shooting Viet Cong. If I wasn't killed in my first year I might even be promoted so I wouldn't be a private all the time. Maybe I would even get captain.

" So Darien what are you getting?" Rita asked as she pulled her gum from her mouth and threw it in a nearby trash can.

" The usual, chocolate ice cream dipped in chocolate sprinkles on a waffle cone," I replied.

" Hmm," Rita studied the menu hanging above the serving window. " I am on a diet but I really want some ice cream so I think I'll get a black and white."

" Rita why would you be on a diet? Your as thin as a stick!" Andrew replied in a sarcastic shocked voice.

" Oh please, I'm as fat as a truck," she replied holding out her hands to show how fat she was then walked up to the window and put in her order.

" Chocolate cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles," I told the girl who asked me what I wanted in a bored voice.

" It'll be up in a minute." She closed the window and stepped into the interior of the kitchen to get our orders.

I absentmindly looked around me at the other students laughing and talking. A couple was necking in their car. I watched that couple then moved on to look at the girls. They sat on the hood of their boyfriend's cars eating ice cream. Girls who were alone and didn't have a boyfriend whispered in each others ears and studied the boys hoping to find one who wasn't with a girl.

" Orders up!" The girl behind the window was back. She handed Rita her glass then handed me a cone dipped in chocolate sprinkles. I was taking it when the sound of a horn blaring filled my ears.

I turned around to see an orange VW bus enter the parking lot. Through the windows curtains I could see the face of a person I didn't recognize. The van moved slowly through the crowds which backed away to let it through.

" What is that?" Rita asked Andrew never taking her eyes off the van.

" It's one of those VW buses. Hippies usually drive them ," Andrew replied.

" Hippies? Here?" Rita turned to look around her at the other people who were staring at the bus which had turned into a parking spot and was now opening its doors. From the drivers side came a man with bushy brown hair and a scraggily beard dressed in bell bottoms and a yellow peasant shirt with brown embroidery. A girl with long black hair walked up to him and looked around her with haughty eyes. The dark haired girl was dressed a lot like the man in jeans and pheasant blouse but that didn't matter as I saw the other girl who climbed out of the van. It was a girl with long blond hair to her waist. She wore a loose white dress with long floaty sleeves and a brown leather vest over it. A few strings of love beads were around her heck and she wore a head band of woven hemp. She was beautiful and she was definetly a hippie.

This strange group walked past the people staring at them up to the girl at the serving window. The leader, obviously the man with the scraggily beard, stepped up and begin to order ice cream for the group. The two girls stood back and waited while I could only stare at the blond one with the beautiful eyes. Her eyes were blue, like the sky. I was awestruck. She must have seen me because slowly she turned her head and met my eyes. Those sky blue eyes were like a klieg light on mine. I did the only thing I could do, I turned my head away and took a bite of my ice cream which was slowly melting in my hand.

The leader handed the two girls ice cream cones then headed towards a table near by. I noticed that the blond girl had gotten chocolate ice cream also and that when she walked her long hair shifted from side to side. They sat down at the table clustered in a small group. Everyone who had been watching them in silence begin to talk and whisper. Hippies like I said were not a main part of the culture in my town. Everyone was clean cut or like a 50's greaser wearing pink shirts and leather jackets. Hippies had all left for San Francisco or New York to converge and live in peace, yet here in front my eyes were three hippies. The man had long hair to his shoulders, something my dad would roar about if he saw. I know this sounds strange to be describing hippies like they were aliens but in my town they were!

" Did you get a look at the brunette?" Andrew asked me with his eyes on the dark haired girl. " Talk about a good looker."

" I prefer the blond myself," I replied.

" She's cute too but that dark haired girl must be foreign born, I've never seen eyes like that."

I didn't say anything in reply to Andrew but was instead watching as a small group of people walked up to the group, the leader being a tall swaggering former football player from school. His name, Ronnie King. Behind him his cohorts and their girlfriends talked and laughed and gave the small group mean looks.

" We don't except free lovers in this town," Ronnie said looking down at the group who stopped talking and looked up at him. " You flower picking hippies might as well get out of here, like I said free love is not accepted here."

The leader, the one with the beard got up and gave his ice cream to the blond girl. " Hey man, we aren't doing anything wrong, the girls here wanted some ice cream so we just stopped."

Ronnie laughed and gave his friends a look before turning back to the leader. "Hey man! What the hell kind of language is that?" He gabbed a finger into the leaders chest. " I suggest you take your little harem and get out of here, we don't want no dirty free loving hippies ruining our town."

" Why don't you shut that mouth of yours? It might clear the dirt in the air." The dark haired girl lashed out.

Ronnie just laughed while the leader turned around and told her to be quiet. "Listen to that! The dirty hippie broad thinks she can tell me to be quiet!" His gang of cohorts laughed. " Why don't you teach your girl some manners, she can use them." Ronnie looked down at the blond who was ignoring all this then turned back to the leader. " Now I suggest you get out. Your not wanted here."

" We are not leaving. We have every right to be here-" the leader began but was silenced by Ronnie who threw a punch right in his face. The leader fell back with blood streaming out of his nose. The two girls jumped up as he fell back on the table.

" You dirty son of a-" The dark haired girl yelled rushing towards Ronnie who caught her arms as she begin to hit him on the chest.

" Fire! You know we don't promote violence!" The blond girl yelled as she cradled the leaders head in her arms.

" Yea little girl, you don't promote violence," Ronnie mimicked pushing her away. " Your little blond friend is right." He reached out and touched the blonde's hair. His voice took on a deeper pitch as he stroked it. " Maybe you and I should get together sometime. I can make it fun."

" I would rather not," the blond replied pulling away from him. She reached up and pulled her hair onto her other shoulder before turning to what I had dubbed the leader to see if he was okay.

Ronnie's nostrils flared, they always did when he got angry. I would know; he got angry a lot.

" Sweetie," he said in a sugary sweet voice filled with anger, " you don't pull away from me. Don't you know who I am?"

" How would she know who you are Ronnie? She doesn't live here!" One of his cronies yelled causing general laughter to break out. Behind me Rita giggled covering her mouth with her hand.

" Shut up!" Ronnie yelled whipping his hand behind him to shut up the laughter.

The blond girl watched him, her blue eyes steadily staring into his own brown ones.

" What are you looking at?" His voice sounded a little puzzled.

" You, you run around promoting violence and hitting on girls who don't even find you attractive. I wonder," she paused, " did you graduate high school? Or did you just get drunk a lot and held back?

" You dumb bitch! You should know better then to say something like that to me! I'll show you some stars!" Ronnie raised his hand as if to slap her but I stopped him. I didn't know why I did that but the thought of the girl getting slapped for saying the truth was too much for me.

I ran forward and grabbed Ronnie's arm surprising him. He stopped and turned around his nostrils flaring.

" What the hell are you doing?"

" You shouldn't hit a women for telling the truth. Why don't you go and pick on someone your own size?" I asked lowering his arm which I noticed were bulging with muscles.

" Shut up Shields. I don't want to hear your bullshit from you. This dumb bitch," he threw a dirty look at her which she met with unwavering eyes, " insulted me. She deserves to be knocked about. In fact both of these women do."

"You shouldn't hit a woman," Fire replied.

" Hush Fire." The leader was getting up wiping blood from his face. He walked up to the blond girl and pushed her behind him. " Look man, like I said, we promote peace not violence. All the girls wanted was some ice cream. We'll be out of here soon enough."

" Watch out here comes the cops." Rita called as a squad car pulled up and two cops got out.

I let go of Ronnie's arm who stepped back and threw the small group a dirty look before walking off with his cronies and their girlfriends. One girl looked back and giggled as she whispered something about dirty hippies.

The cops didn't even notice the group walking away but instead went straight up to the counter to order. I was left alone with the hippies, the leader wiping blood from his nose while the dark haired girl watched Ronnie and his cohorts leaving. I was aware that the blond girl was looking at me but I didn't meet her eyes.

" You did a good thing." It was the leader speaking. I looked at him, he was holding out his had so I shook it. " My name is Tim. I really appreciate you helping us out."

I shook the man's hand then let go. " It was really no problem, I know Ronnie from school and he's always been a bully." I turned to the dark haired girl, Fire, who was brushing back some stray locks. " I'm sorry he was so mean to you miss and you too," I added in an after thought to the blond girl.

She smiled at me, God what a smile. " You are very brave. When our leader was down you were so brave to fight that man, Ronnie."

" It was no problem," I replied sheepishly.

" I didn't catch your name. I wonder how am I supposed to thank so wonderful a man?" She asked.

I blushed at this remark, she was turning me to water. " My name is Darien, Darien Shields, recent high school graduate and co-valedictorian of my class." She didn't want to hear that!

The blond girl just smiled and took my hand in hers. " I must say congratulations to you. My name is Serena but everyone calls me Moon."

Of course her nickname, and what a beautiful nickname!

" Moon," I repeated feeling the name on my lips. " That's a beautiful name."

" My last name means moon, I am the goddess of the moon and you are my shepherd, Endymion." She tightened her grip on my hand.

" Now Moon you must stop, your scaring this man who so bravely fought for us." Tim was speaking again, damn him for interrupting her. I wanted to be Serena's shepherd.

Tim turned to me while Serena let go of my hand. " I gather that since you graduated you are going to college?"

" Actually no, I'm going to into the army." I could have bit my tongue off for that one. The looks on Tim and Fire's faces could have come out of the same mold. They were both shocked. Only Serena still smiled and held onto my hand.

" Tim, Fire, he must join us," she turned to her companions, " I want him to come with us to the movies tonight. I'm interested in talking to an army man."

" Now Moon," Tim begin but was interrupted by Fire. " Yes I think that would be a wonderful idea. Please come with us Mr. Shields." She looked at Serena with an odd look in her eyes. I couldn't quite discern it.

" Please Mr. Shields, Darien." Serena looked up at me, straight into my eyes and I was lost.

" Yes, of course," I flustered then suddenly remember Andrew and Rita who were standing near by watching the whole scene and listening. " I'm sure my friends would love to come with also."

Instantly Rita was shaking her head and taking a hold of Andrew's arm. " Oh we'd love to but we couldn't. I have a million things to do and Andrew has to drive me home. Thank you for the offer but really we must be going." Rita began pulling Andrew away who was still protesting.

" Now Rita what do we have to do tonight?"

" Look at her eyes Andrew," Rita whispered into his ear.

He looked, his own eyes widening before he allowed Rita to pull him away.

" I'm sorry Darien but I better drive Rita home, I'll call you tomorrow." Andrew called as he and Rita walked off.

" You can still come if your friends don't want too," Fire said crossing her arms over her chest. " We are going to see the movie The Graduate."

" I'd love too," I replied feeling Serena's hands squeeze mine.

" Wonderful! Climb in girls! You too Darien and we'll be off." Tim walked over to the driver's side and climbed in while Fire climbed in the passenger's seat and Serena got in on the side. I followed her in and found myself in the smallest living quarters. Curtains hung from the windows and the floor was covered in a worn out red plush carpet. Against the back doors luggage and a guitar case lay stacked on top of each other. Serena sat leaning against them so I closed the door behind me and rested my back against it. Tim started the engine and we were off, me and the two hippie girls and their leader. What was I getting myself into?

Chapter two is coming up soon. Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!


	2. San Francisco 2

San Francisco

Chapter Two

By A Shot of Amber

Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!

San Francisco

Chapter Two

" Have you see this movie before?" Serena turned her head to look at me, the beads she wore clicking against each other.

I shook my head and swallowed the mouthful of shake I was drinking. " No I didn't really get a chance to yet. With school and everything, movies take a back seat."

" If we had a back seat we could sit in it but you know I always did like sitting under the stars." She looked up at the stars her hair falling behind her. I looked up also mentally wondering how many stars were really up there.

We were sitting at the movie theatre, it was a drive in. While Rei and Tim had gotten drinks and snacks Serena and I had climbed onto the roof of the car. She had spread out her white skirt around her and crossed her legs. I just sat next to her and rested my weight on my arms behind me. When they came back Rei had passed up our drinks with Serena drinking a vanilla shake and me chocolate. I could never have enough chocolate. I had told this to Serena who laughed and said she preferred chocolate over vanilla but had had a craving for the bean. Now we sat side by side on top of the van watching Mrs. Robinson try to seduce Dustin Hoffman's character. It was actually a pretty good movie.

" Darien what would you do if I seduced you?"

I was a little shocked by this answer.

Serena burst into a torrent of giggles. " Got you! I just wanted to see the look on your face. You know I like you, your not like other guys I know."

" What are they like?"

Serena bit her bottom lip and sucked it behind her teeth while she appeared to think about it. Finally she spoke. " Well Tim is great since your probably wondering about him. He's the leader of our group and yea, there are more of us. There's Mina, we call her Aphrodite, Ami who we call River, Lita, we call her Flower since she likes flowers and of course Chad who we call Dancing Wolf and Ken, we call him Coyote. We're going to meet them. They are in camp right now. Tim and Rei could have been to camp by now but they had to pick me up."

I picked myself up and crossed my legs clad in their blue jeans like Serena's. "Where were they picking you up from?"

Serena turned her face towards me and looked into my eyes. " From the streets where I was living. I lived in this building with some other people like me. I played guitar on the streets and sang a little to get money. Rainbow helped me a lot. She had a good voice so she did most of the singing. At night we would go to advant guarde clubs and drink coffee and listen to people read poetry and sing. Once I got up there and gave a solo of _Love for Sale_ and got enough money to buy a decent meal."

" Wasn't it harsh? You know living on the streets? Didn't you have a home to go to?"

She laughed and picked up her drink and took a long sip of it before replying. "It wasn't half bad, the building was clean, I had money to buy food. It was great! Rainbow was my best gal pal from high school. We ran away together and joined a commune in New York. The people were nice. They didn't force you into sex or anything. It was free love man! Love and peace for all!" She swayed slightly on her hips and closed her eyes.

" If you ran away from home then did you finish school?"

" Hmm? Oh no, I was a freshman when I left and that makes me sophomore now. Who cares about high school anyway? It's not for me. I'm not going to college! I'm going to spend my life doing what I want, living for peace and freedom for everyone."

" Wow," I sat back on my hands again and looked up at the stars. " That's pretty extraordinary . My life is nothing like that."

" What is your life like?"

" Well I just graduated high school as you know. I live with my parents in your basic ranch style house. I'm an only child so my mom really dotes on me."

" I had a little brother, but he was nothing but a pain," Serena replied.

" When I was young I wished I had a sibling or two but as I grew older I got used to being alone. I guess now I kind of cherish it. I didn't have to share anything with anybody. I got everything I wanted which probably made me a little greedy.

" No, you don't strike me as greedy. You seem a lot like Tim, you look for the good in people. Tim is a wonderful man. He looks for the good in everyone. He says we don't need to kill, that's the devil in us talking about killing. Instead we just need to listen to God and we'll see the good in everyone."

I looked down at the roof of the car as if though I could see Tim sitting below me eating popcorn.

" Who was that blond guy with the red haired girl who refused to come with us?

" That was my friend Andrew and Rita, his girlfriend, they are really tight."

" He's handsome."

" Do you think he's handsome?" I turned my head to look at her but still leaned back on my hands.

" Of course, I always did like blond guys...well until tonight."

She looked at me coyly and tilted her head to the side. " I did like them until I met you, now I know that I definetly like dark haired guys."

Boy did my heart stop beating after that!

" I like you Darien. You're really sweet, definitely not like the guys from back home who try to rip your clothes off and stick their tongues down your throat." She stopped and fingered her beads and dropped her hand into her lap. " I would like it if you joined our group."

" What?"

" Join our group and go with us to San Francisco. That's where we are going, the group and I. We're going there to live in the city of freedom and love. Who knows maybe we'll even be discovered, me has a singer and you as, and well I don't know, as my fellow singer."

" I can't sing a note," I replied with an amused grin.

" Then you can be my manager. Still it would be totally rocking if you came. You can be part of our group. There is no leader but Tim, he's the father, but he's not strict so you don't need to worry. You can come and spread peace and love with us." She looked at me with those piercing blue eyes and I was struck dumb.

Okay let's examine this. A beautiful stranger with love beads and a flowing white dress was asking me to be in her group. She expected me to leave my comfortable life in the suburbs where I have a mother who washes my clothes and cooks my dinner and a father who treats me like an equal except for the part of forcing me to join the army. Then I begin to think about my policy on war. I didn't really know, it wasn't really affecting me. Sure a lot of college kids older then me were protesting and calling Lyndon B. Johnson a child killer but I still didn't really care. Then I looked at Serena. She was looking at me and for the first time I noticed how blue her eyes were, they were a bright blue without a fleck of green like some blue eyes had. Her face was so delicate; I wonder what it would be like to cradle it in my hands and to sleep next to her, one arm holding her close to me while she held onto my night shirt.

" Why would you want me?"

" Because I see something in you. You've lived here in the suburbs all your life haven't you?"

I nodded. " Well yea I have but what does that have to do with anything?"

" You're a soul trying to escape! You need freedom from the middle class socialism that holds us down. The man will send you to war in Vietnam if you stay here! So why not come with us and forget about the war. Do you want to be another baby killer?"

And then suddenly I heard this song playing. Was it the heavens singing to me? No it was just another car pulling in next to us blasting their radio. Still it gave me a chance to think some more as I looked through the dirty glass windows at a boy and girl who started to make out. And suddenly I was lonely, I was lonely for all the years I had been an only child, lonely for all the girls I've dated and dumped, and lonely for being stuck in the same place for eighteen years.

" Serena?"

" Moon," she replied.

" Alright, Moon, one question, where would I get the clothes?"

She let out a cry of joy and jumped throwing her arms around me pushing me back against the roof of the car so she was on top of me. I was lying there my arms on either side of my body while she looked straight into my eyes and for a second everything froze before we heard Rei's voice calling through her open window asking us what we were doing. Serena got up and pushed some strands of hair behind her before she slipped over to Rei's side of the van and dangled her legs over the edge.

" Hey Fire! Guess what?"

" What?" Rei stuck her head out the window and twisted her body so she was looking up at Serena.

" Darien as landed, he is joining us."

" That's nice," Rei replied and climbed back into the car.

Serena smiled over at me. " Rei doesn't like men so you'll have to understand her answer. She only ever had one man friend and he left her so she tends to distrust men.

I nodded. It was a good thing I wasn't interested in Rei or I might never have a chance. But now there were more important things to worry about such has how I was going to deal with my parents. A quick look at my watch told me it was later then I thought.

" Serena," I began but was stopped by a finger on my lips.

" Call me Moon," she whispered leaning close to my face so I could feel her breath on my cheek.

" But your name is Serena," I replied stupidly.

" Yes, but that is my Earth name. In heaven my name is Moon."

I nodded but I didn't really understand. I would call her Moon but I would never know why I was. " Alright…Moon."

She smiled and moved her finger and sat back on the roof of the van.

" How am I going to tell my parents that I'm leaving them to travel with a hippie commune to San Francisco?"

She just smiled and rocked back and forth on her hips while her arms held her crossed legs close to her. She closed her eyes and began to hum a tune. I recognized it has popular song about going to San Francisco. Suddenly she opened her eyes and stopped rocking. " Who says you have to tell them?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. " My parents would know I'm gone, especially when I don't show up for a few days."

She just smiled, never hurt by the tone of my voice which conveyed annoyance at her. " You know Darien, the thing about being free is that you never tell the people who are holding you back where you are going. Your parents are holding you back and you shouldn't let them. You need to break the bonds of your imprisonment and be free! You need to escape from the society that is holding you back!"

" Or he could just leave a note," Rei called up. She had climbed through the window and was sitting on the ledge.

Serena and I looked down at her. " Leave a note?" I asked.

" Yea, you can leave a note that you decided to have one last journey before college or wherever you are going and tell them that you'll call them along the way to let them know that you are fine."

" But Fire that is so against the lifestyle we live," Serena replied.

" Yea but he's not used to our lifestyle. Anyway Moon let him do it that way and still come with us. Maybe the suburbs could learn about the true meaning of life." Rei looked up at me. " Do you want to come with us suburbia boy?"

I looked down at her. She had fiery purple eyes that would later show their true meaning but for now were looking at me with a calm blandness that waited for my answer. I looked over at Serena who was watching me with her bright blue eyes. They were so unlike Rei's eyes. While Rei's eyes glowed with fire and passion, Serena glowed with softness and love. If it wasn't for those eyes of her eyes I would have said no and gone home to live out a quiet summer of baseball and dates to the movies but I didn't say no.

" Alright, I'll go with you guys to the coast."

I said yes.

Serena squealed and knocked me down into a hug on top of the van while Rei smiled and climbed back in, probably to tell Tim who was wondering about the sounds above him. Under the stars Serena was looking down at me, a smile on her face.

" You won't regret this Darien. I promise that this will be the best summer of your life." With that she brushed my bangs of out of my eyes and kissed my forehead. " Soon we'll have to give you a name and formally induct you into our group but for now," she sat up and looked down at me, " we have to get you out of the clutches of your parents."

I nodded and sat up also, my face slightly crimson from her kissing me so informally even if it was only on the forehead. She just smiled at me in the lights of the drive in then twisted her body over the edge of the van.

" Tim my man! Our mission is finished! Darien is with us forever and ever. Take us out of here to his place to grab some things then we can go to camp."

" Good job Moon!" Tim called setting his drink down and starting the van up.

Serena turned to me and smiled. " We better climb down so you can give Tim directions to your place."

I nodded and slid off the top of the van to the ground below and climbed into the open door on the side. Serena followed me and slammed the door shut. Tim depressed the clutch and we took off in a squeal of tires out of the drive in with me sitting in the back seat next to a calm and cool Serena. Our knees were only slightly touching and my hands were holding onto the seats on either side of me so I didn't slide off. She noticed this and reached over and took one of my hands into her own, entwining our fingers together.

" Don't worry anymore, I will protect you," she whispered looking into my eyes. I nodded dumbly, enchanted by the swirling depths of those blue eyes. She smiled at me and turned her face back to the windshield but never let go of my hand.

Personally I was glad she didn't but I was disappointed when we got to my house and she let go to climb out of the van. I climbed out too and looked up at the quiet brick house where I lived. All the lights were off and I knew my parents were sleeping. I turned back to the small group behind me.

" I'll go in alone, I don't want to wake my parents or there'll be a big fuss. What do you guys want me to bring?"

" Clothes," Rei replied leaning against her door.

" Fire stop," Tim replied gently then stepped towards me. " Bring some blue jeans and some loose shirts as it will get hotter the farther west we go. Bring sturdy walking shoes and pair of sandals if have them and some blankets and pillows."

" Also bring your personal hygiene products. Contrary to popular belief hippies aren't dirty," Rei added.

" I better go with so you get the right things." Serena stepped up to me, her love beads clicking together. " I want to make sure you are well prepared for this trip." She reached up and removed her love beads and handed them to Tim. " Hold these brother until I return."

Tim nodded and stepped back to watch Serena and I enter the fence door into the backyard.

" Do you think this is a good idea?" Rei asked.

" Calm down Fire. She has a good feeling about him and so do I. He'll bring a new breath of air to our commune."

" But he's a baby killer."

" Yes but if we are lucky we'll make him one of us forever then Moon can be eternally happy." Tim looked up at the house where a light had turned on downstairs. Rei looked up to and sighed.

Inside the house Serena and I entered through the back door and quietly closed it. I turned on the kitchen light so we could see. Then with Serena's hand in mine we walked through the main room and up the stairs towards my room. She barely breathed as we tiptoed up the stairs, down the hall past the closed door of my parent's room and into my own room. While she closed the door I turned on the light. It was a nice room but a little dull with blue walls and the customary trophies and sports memorabilia. Serena became very interested in these and looked at them while I packed my things into a duffle bag.

First went a blanket then my pillow then I shoved in my toothbrush and some shampoo followed by a bar of soap. Serena helped me pick out some blue jeans and two shirts that she felt would pass Tim's inspection. She then picked out a picture of me at age 10 standing with my baseball mitt and bat while wearing my team uniform. " I like this picture the most out of all of them. You look happiest in it."

I took the picture and looked at it. I did look happy in it so I packed it in my bag tucking it between the blanket then we headed out. I shut the light off and she opened the door, leading the way back down the stairs and into the kitchen. There I stopped while she continued towards the door. " What are you doing?" She whispered one hand on the knob.

" I want to write a note to my parents," I whispered back grabbing the paper pad off the fridge.

Her eyes looked at me in a puzzled way as if she didn't know what a note was but she didn't question me and instead walked over to the fridge and opened it. While I wrote the note she riffled through the fridge's contents pulling out items like a loaf of bread and some vegetables. Meanwhile I wrote a note telling my parents that I would be gone for a few weeks, I wanted to tell them that I had met a beautiful girl and was following her to the coast but I didn't and instead just left it that. I told them not to worry about me and that I would call every week to tell them that I was fine. At the end of the note I signed it "your loving son, Darien" then set down the pen next to the note which I left on the kitchen table. Serena had pulled out an assortment of food which she held in her skirt. I looked at her with a puzzled look of my own but she just smiled and said we needed food. I nodded only half understanding and picked up my duffle bag so we could leave. Together she and I left the house, me shutting off the light, and ran back to the van where Tim and Rei waited in the moonlight.

" We're all ready!" Serena called holding up her skirt of food.

Tim's eyes lit up at the sight of it. " Good job Moon. You know where to put it." She nodded and climbed into the van while I shoved my stuff into the van then climbed in to. Tim drove off quietly while I looked back at my sleeping house. My parents would think I had sneaked in in the middle of the night and wouldn't think anything of it until my mother who always got up first would see my note on the kitchen table. She would then wake my father and who would yell and read the note and yell some more while my mother cried. I would never see that though, Tim wanted to get as far as quickly as possible in case the police were called. So that night we drove far and fast, through the quiet streets of my town, past the now empty ice cream stand and drive through and then we were in the outskirts and that was when I fell asleep.

Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!


	3. San Francisco 3

San Francisco

Chapter 3

By A Shot of Amber

Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Also please remember that this story is set in the summer of 1967. Thank you!

San Francisco

Chapter 3

The sun was just rising over the horizon when I woke up. Serena lay against me, still asleep, one hand resting on my arm as if she meant to hold me down in case I had tried to escape in the night. In the front Tim was still driving though he looked tired and more haggardly then ever. Rei had climbed in the back for the night and was asleep with her head lying against someone's guitar case. As I slowly woke up and came to I watched the two girls sleeping then looked up at Tim. He hadn't seen me.

I moved Serena's hand from my arm and gently laid her on the floor near Rei and stood up, or at least stood up the best I could and walked over to the front of the van. Tim looked away from the road to see me standing between the two seats holding one hand to the ceiling.

" You want me to drive for awhile?" I asked.

Tim looked away from me back to the road and in the newly rising sun I could see how tired he was. He had dark circles under his eyes and he beard was even more scraggily from him running his hands through it. He looked back up at me and smiled. "Yea that would be great man."

I nodded and watched as Tim pulled the van over to the shoulder on the empty road. We switched spots and I climbed into the driver's seat. Tim climbed into the back and ruffled through some things before pulling out a well worn pillow which he laid down on the floor and flopped down on it. In a matter of minutes he was asleep and I was left to drive. I didn't really know where we were going so I just drove straight over the highway through the prairie with the sun rising in the east to my side. Its light slowly filled the van falling on the three sleeping people or at least two of them. I heard someone stir and stand up. They walked towards the front, stepping over Tim who lay just behind me.

" When did you get up?" It was Serena.

I didn't even look up from the road as I answered. " About 40 minutes ago. Tim wanted to get some sleep so I took over driving."

She nodded or at least I think she did and climbed into the passenger side seat. I watched from the corner of my eye as she tucked her legs underneath her and adjusted her skirt then I looked back at the road.

" Do you wonder where we are going?"

" Yea, Tim never told me where to drive so I've been driving straight down this road."

Serena smiled. The sun shone on her face. " We are heading south towards the camp near the river. We have to meet the others there so we can head west together." She looked towards me, studying me with her eyes. " But first we need to find a river so you can wash and change. You'll never be accepted into camp in those clothes."

I looked down at my clothes, a pair blue jeans and a pale blue polo. I look pretty standard by my town but then I looked at Serena in her white dress and leather vest and I knew I wouldn't fit in. " If you can find a river then I can change," I replied.

" Good because I think we all need a bath also."

I was a little shocked by this. They bathed in the river? Serena must have seen my shocked look to because she answered my question before I had time to ask it.

" Darien you have to understand our way of life if you are going to live with us. We don't live in the conventional houses that your kind do. We live under the stars and in the ground. We bath in the river and eat only the fruits of the Earth. We are natural people just like our ancestors where. If you want to be among us you'll have to accept our ways and cast off the shadows of your past." She demonstrated this by throwing her arms out to either side of her.

I nodded and turned my face to the road again. " Since you probably know where we are better then I do then you can lead me to the river. I really could use a swim."

Serena smiled at me with happiness in her eyes then opened the window and stuck her head out into the wind. She looked as if she was enjoying herself immensely with her hair fluttering behind her. I kept my eyes on the road making sure not to swerve or anything or hit anything but the road was empty except for us. Serena wasn't long in keeping her head in the wind. She soon slipped back into her seat with wind blown bangs and closed the window.

" I smelled water about a mile from here. I think we can pull over there."

" You smelled water?" I asked looking a little confused.

" Yes, God blessed with me many of Mother Nature's talents," she replied.

I nodded but I didn't really understand but then again this girl was truly confusing, maybe all hippies were like her. Then maybe not, Rei was quiet and serious, Tim was a born leader, and Serena, she was wild and exuberant. Each one that I met was different from the others though they were only connected by their dress and the need to be with others of their kind.

A minute later I lost my thoughts as I saw water. A river snaking through the trees growing on either side of its banks. Serena smiled happily and bounced a little in her chair as I pulled the van off the road onto a smaller dirt road that bounced and jutted us through its holes. Serena directed me to pull into a clump of trees far from the main road and shut off the van. I did and silence enveloped us except for the soft breathing of Tim. Rei had woken up and was rubbing one eye.

" See I told you there was water ahead," Serena grinned opening her door and jumping out.

" Moon found water?" Rei asked standing up.

" Yea, she said it was for bathing," I replied watching as Serena ran through the trees towards the river.

" Good, I could use a nice long swim." Rei climbed over Tim and opened the side door to let herself out. I did the same except using my door. Underneath the van the grass was green and soft, obviously well fertilized by the river and the trees above us. I followed Rei to the river banks where Serena stood pulling off her sandals. Rei did the same then reached up for her shirt and it suddenly struck me, they were bathing so of course they were going to get naked. I blushed a bright tomato red and turned around heading back to the van. Serena saw me first then gestured to Rei. Rei let go of her shirt and looked at my retreating back. " Oh," she said softly while Serena dropped her sandals and ran towards me.

" We don't have to take off all our clothes you know," she grabbed my arm and stopped me. " If you like we can wear our underwear like those girls who wear bikini's do."

I shook my head. " I would still feel uncomfortable. I'm not used to seeing a girl in her underwear."

Rei had come over. " If you want to live with us then you'll have to get used to things. We aren't very modest people. We live close to nature and that doesn't always mean wearing a lot of clothes."

Serena tightened her grip on my arm so I would look down at her. " Let go of your modesty Darien and join us. We promise not to get naked but at least come swimming with us. It will do you good to feel water."

" I really don't know," I replied looking a little hesitant.

" Then go back to the van and hide until we are done," Rei replied turning back to the river and pulling off her shirt. I watched as she exposed an off white bra. She didn't reach up and un-snap it though but instead dropped her shirt on to her shoes and began unzipping her pants. Serena smiled and began to pull my arm leading me towards the water.

" Come join us and you'll see its not so bad." She smiled up at me as we came to Rei's pile of clothes. " Come on." She let go of my arm and pulled off her vest. " Come on, I dare you." She dropped her vest on the ground and pulled up the hem of her skirt so she could pull of her dress. I was a little awestruck by the fact that she had no modesty in pulling off her clothes in front me. She was smiling and has a mischievous look in her eyes as she pulled the airy white cloth over her head and dropped it next to her vest. Underneath the dress she wore a pair of white panties and a white bra.

(AN: Think of the underwear of the 60's. It was a little more modest in its cut then underwear of today.)

I knew I was blushing as Serena grinned at me while she stood there. She pulled off her love beads and her head band then turned and ran to the river where Rei was. I watched as she jumped into the water causing little splashed and rippled around her. Rei was washing her arms, running the water over them while Serena crouched down let the water come to her waist then stood up and turned to me. " Come in Darien! The water's fine!"

" It's a little cold," Rei added more to herself then to me as she stood up and wandered farther into the river.

I didn't hear her though; my eyes and ears were on Serena with her wet clothes sticking to her body and her long hair shining in the sun. Inside me a war raged but one side won and I found myself pulling off my shirt and my jeans and walking over to the water dressed in only my white t-shirt and a pair of blue and red boxers. Serena was skimming her hands over the water as I walked up to her, the water flowing around my legs.

" Good for you," she said happily skimming her hands towards me then stopping. " But the shirt has to go. You won't need it." She stepped over the rocky bottom and grabbed my shirt pulling it over my head with such ease and grace that quite before I knew it my shirt was floating away down the river.

" Why did you do that?" I cried watching the white speck get smaller and smaller.

" Because you are to modest and besides I wanted to see your chest," she replied blushing. Then she ran, or at least tried too, through the water towards the middle where Rei stood with water up to her chest washing her hair. I watched her go then looked back at my shirt which was disappearing over the horizon. The devil in me rose and a mischievous look came upon my face. I was in about four feet of water so this would be perfect. I slipped under the water completely disappearing from sight and swam towards Serena who had stopped to see if I was following her. She had a confused look on her face and called to Rei if she had seen where I had gone. Then I appeared or at least I sort of appeared. Serena screamed as something grabbed her legs and pulled her underneath the surface. Rei screamed to and stood up as Serena disappeared into the river. Underneath the surface I laughed in my mind as Serena saw me pulling her down and a shock look appeared on her face. I let go of her legs and we both stood up, the water now to our chests. She was gasping for air and pushing her wet hair behind her while I laughed.

" You are evil!" Serena cried placing one hand on her chest to still her rapidly beating heart. I just laughed some more. " Why did you do that?" She asked.

" Its revenge for you throwing away my shirt," I replied. She looked at me for a second in confusion then burst out laughing. " Some good revenge, you scared the life out of me!" Suddenly she grinned and pushed me into the water. " Now lets see if you can catch me!" With that Serena took off diving under the water and swam away while I fell backwards into the water but I wasn't long in chasing after her. Meanwhile Rei gave us what could only be called patronizing looks and continued to wash her hair.

" When I lived at home I was known as Bunny because my parents said I looked like a rabbit with my hair style."

" What was your hair style?" I asked.

She demonstrated by pulling her hair up into two ponytails then doubling them into buns. I looked at her for a moment then nodded. " You do look like a rabbit with that hairstyle."

" I know and I hated it. My mom started fixing my hair when I was a baby and she always fixed it in that style. I absolutely hated it because I was always teased about it but I didn't want to hurt her feelings and tell her. Then I met Rei and the others and ran away with them. Soon after I ran away and joined camp Rei cut off the two ponytails and fixed my hair to be better suitable to me."

I looked over at her. Her hair was almost dry now. It was sort of long, to her waist, a pure golden blond that hung straight and close to her scalp. We sat under a clump of trees in the grass near the river. Tim was still asleep and Rei was washing our clothes in the river. Serena and I had slipped off into the woods and found this grassy spot. I lay on my back with my arms underneath my head and one leg bent at the knee while I chewed on a grass stem. Serena sat next to me still dressed in her underwear with her legs bent at the knee and her feet resting on the grass. She leaned back on her hands and was looking up at the sky.

" Mom was a trip. She never worked a day in her life but instead stayed home all the time and took care of my brother and I. Dad worked in an office and was in the army during the war. After he came home he married my mom and they had me first in 1952 followed by my brother when I was two in 1954. We lived in your pretty average house. We lived in what Arapohdite calls the "Hell of Suburbia.""

" Who's Arapohdite?"

" Mina, you'll meet her tonight at camp."

" How many are in camp?"

" Well in our group we have eight but there are many more in camp. It's a big place for everyone to meet. We are just going to get the rest of the group then we are headed to San Francisco."

" Why San Francisco?" I asked turning my head to look at her.

She brought her legs closer to her chest and looked out over the water through the trees. " Well in San Francisco Rei and Mina hope to get singing careers. Tim is only driving us. He may stay in San Francisco, he may not. He's talking about going to Washington to march and protest the war. That sounds really interesting so I may go myself, after staying in San Francisco over the winter. I hate being in the van during winter when it gets dark early and it snows a lot. I hate all that ice and wind so Tim and I'll spend the winter in San Francisco then probably head off back across the country to Washington and spend spring there then maybe New York in the summer. The Greenwich Village as a lot of great clubs we like to go to and of course Rainbow is there. She didn't want to come with us. She had fallen in love with this older man who was the owner of the Black Pot, this little club we went to. When Tim picked me up she was about to move in with him." Serena lowered her voice significantly so that I had to strain to hear her. " I think the real reason she didn't come was because she was pregnant with his child and she knew she couldn't get away from him. He used to beat her and sometimes I would come home to find her crying in the corner of our room with a black eye. It was really awful the way he treated her but she couldn't get away, she loved him."

I sat up on my arms and looked at Serena who was shaking her head while she mumbled softly to herself. " Are you going back to New York to find her?" I asked.

Serena shook her head and raised her face to the sun. " I would love to find her and get her away from all that but I wouldn't know where to find her. She may have left the guy already and could be a thousand miles away from New York. I wouldn't know where the first place to look is." Serena hugged her knees tightly. " I'm just glad I didn't fall into that same trap like Rainbow did. I know that I never want to be the breeding purpose of some man who treats me like a doll. Tim is great because he treats me as an individual and you're great because I can tell you're in awe of me and that gives me power and I like that power." She smiled at me, the sun glinting off her golden face. "But don't worry Darien; I will never abuse that power. You're the first real man that I've ever liked and I know that I never want to loose someone like you."

I blinked once then twice and was about to same something when Tim came out of the trees. His hair was wet and hanging around his ears. You could see that he had bathed in the river from the wet look of his skin and the dampness of his clothes.

" There you two are. Moon we need to get going. We still got a way to go before hitting camp. I want to be there before the sun sets in the west and the shadows grow longer then my body."

Serena let go of her knees and stood up brushing the wet grass away from her legs. " Alright Tim, we'll go and get dressed." She turned to me and affected a sad look. "I'm sorry our conversation couldn't have gone on longer."

I just smiled and stood up to. " It's alright Moon, I still enjoyed it all the same."

She grinned up at me then followed Tim through the trees back towards the river. Tim glanced back at me over his shoulder then walked off leaving me standing in that patch of green grass where Serena and I had sat. I started to walk behind them to where Rei was pulling dry clothes off tree branches. I looked around for my own clothes while Serena pulled on her white dress but didn't see them anywhere.

" Rei where are my clothes?" I asked her as she folded a pair of blue jeans.

" My name is Fire and your clothes are packed away. Tim is lending you some of his."

I must have had a blanched look on my face because Tim quickly spoke up. "Since you have joined us brother I thought it would only be fair that I lend you some clothes to better suit you for the journey. Here," he handed me a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt. " We also have some sandals so you don't have to trudge around in those sneakers of yours." I looked over at Serena who was smiling happily. She nodded her head while Tim directed me to dress behind some trees. He and the girls gathered up the remaining clothes and headed towards the van while I changed there on the river bank.

The jeans were a little big and moved down to my hips along with dragging slightly on the ground. I fixed this problem by rolling them up slightly then pulled on the shirt. It was made of an airy white material with big sleeves done up with blue embroidery. The neck came down slightly to show the skin at the bottom of my throat and also had embroidery around its yoke done in the pattern of birds and other symbols that I didn't really understand. Barefoot I walked towards the van where Rei was shoving the clean clothes into bags while Tim moved things around inside. Rei looked up first and for the first time I saw into the real person behind the cool exterior as she smiled. Tim popped his head out waiting for the next bag to be handed to him but he saw me instead. He smiled to at me standing there in a pair of to big blue jeans and a white hippie shirt. The last person who needed to see me was no where in sight so I guessed she was in the van.

" Why did you roll up your jeans?" Rei asked looking at the rolled cuffs then up at me.

" They were to big," I replied.

" We can easily remedy that," Tim replied. " Moon get me the scissors!" He called back into the van.

Serena who was definitely inside the van suddenly popped her head out of the back then swung down to the ground. She studied me for a moment then smiled happily. " You look like one of us now." She headed towards me and I saw that the scissors were in her hand. " I'll fix this Leader," she called bending down in front of me and unrolling my jeans. She then began cutting until a strip of cloth lay on the ground. She repeated this with the other leg then stood up and nodded her head. " A lot better."

My bare feet were now revealed in the dusty road. I looked and felt like a hippie and was already in need of a bath.

" Now all we need is the shoes and his look will be complete," Serena said stepping back as Rei handed me a pair of brown sandals to slip on. I did so obligingly while the others studied me critically.

" With those pretty boy blue eyes he may not fully pass," Rei mussed as she nibbled at her fingertip.

" Yea but with the clothes there is no doubt," Tim replied while I stood there feeling like a side of beef. Only Serena stepped forward and looked me once over. " I know what's missing." She pulled a string of her love beads up over her head and then placed them down around mine. " They say these beads will forever connect two people so I give one to you so we are forever connected." She stepped back and smiled. The beads around her neck clinked softly but now one string hung around mine. Behind her I saw the leader give us a look but he didn't not say anything. The moment passed between us and Serena turned away.

" Come on Darien, we need to get going."

I nodded, still a dumbfounded by her words about us being forever connected but I did help in packing up the rest of the things and climbed into the van to sit next to Serena. Rei climbed into the front and we were off. Off the dirt road back onto the high way for smooth driving the rest of the day towards what I was certain to be a new and unconsidered destiny.

" We should arrive at camp around dusk," Tim said at one point over the music playing on the radio. I hadn't recognized the tune but Serena had whispered that it was a tune by Scott McKenzie about San Francisco. " It's our theme song to the trip."

Then it was all silent with Rei and Serena dozing off now and then and me staring out the window. I felt weird in my new clothes like I was about to set sail and fly in things that were to big for me. I also felt weird because I knew if my dad and mom saw me dressed like this they both would have a fit. My dad would probably have a heart attack, his face going first red then purple while mom simply slipped into a dead faint. It felt like so long since I had last seen them but it was really only a day and a half now. I knew they had gotten the note and were probably calling the police to report me kidnapped but with the way Tim was driving I knew they would never find me. I was to far gone in the middle of the prairie to be found. Then I looked down at Serena who was asleep against my arm and I knew why I was on this insane trip to California, because of her.

I knew she liked me. She made it very obvious with her giving me the love beads and her words but I didn't really know why. She was so young, only 15 years old, and she was so full of life. Compared to her I was an old man with old man feelings and ways. I could never measure up to her but in a way I wanted to. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to measure up to her. I wanted her to like me more then she already did. I was a fool.

Chapter four will be out next week! Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!


	4. San Francisco 4

He'll San Francisco

Chapter Four

By A Shot of Amber

Just remember this story is set in the summer of 1967. Also please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!

San Francisco

Chapter Four

We arrived in camp around dusk, maybe around 8pm that night just like Tim had predicted. By this time Rei and Serena were awake and looking around excitedly. All around us small camp fires burned with people sitting around them talking and smoking. Some women were dancing to the music of make shift bands, their skirts fluttering around their thin bodies. Tents had been pitched from what looked like army cloth because of the black lettering that designated it to the U.S Army.

" Isn't it beautiful?" Serena whispered looking out my window with me. I could hardly call it beautiful. It looked dirty with the dust rising from the ground and the clouds of smoke rising from the fires. It looked exactly what I thought a hippie camp would look like but Serena still seemed excited. She was clutching my arm tightly in her happiness. I knew I would be an outsider in this camp but she seemed to have forgotten as we pulled up next to another van like ours with a giant red peace sign on the door and a beat up old school bus behind it.

" Well girls, we've made it," Tim sighed turning off the engine.

I looked out the window at the camp we had pulled up to. A fire was burning in a small hole in the ground and around it sat two men and a girl who was reading from a book. Sitting in the van a girl with long brown hair was weaving a wreath of flowers together while another girl danced in the night. She looked a lot like Serena with the long blond hair but hers was longer and she was dressed differently. They could have been twins though with their identical hair and blue eyes.

Serena was the first to alight from the van, she pushed past me and threw open the door so she could jump down. Instantly everyone stopped what they were doing as she ran up to them.

" Moon!" The brown haired girl cried setting down her wreath and climbing out of the van to run over to the girl. They both hugged, crying joyfully of not seeing each other in so long. The others were appearing to. A rather clean cut looking boy dressed in blue jeans a ripped t shirt. The other man was older with a shaggy brown hair that fell into his eyes. He also wore blue jeans and the regulation green army t-shirt that I would be wearing this fall. Somewhere in the pile of clothes near to the fire lay his army fatigue jacket. I knew he had one. It would fit him so well. The girl with the long brown hair was tall, she wasn't very attractive but she was tall, about as tall as me and thin. She had stick like arms that protruded from the sleeves of her green dress. To me she was probably the mother of the group with her looks and the air of serenity around her. Then there was the other girl, a blond girl with a wild exuberant look about her like Serena. She came running over from where she had been dancing and swooped Serena up into a hug. Together the two of them looked alike, both with long stick straight blond hair except the girl's hair was longer and she wore a different dress, an off white dress with a long brown vest that reached to her ankles and was done up with embroidery.

" Moon your here!" The blond girl cried letting go of Serena and looking her over. " You look thinner, did New York treat you good?"

" It treated me very well, I ate enough to look like Twiggy. What do you think? Can I pass for a real hippie now?"

The blond girl laughed and nodded. " You sure can!" Then her eye caught me standing by the van with my feet shuffling in the dust and my hands in my pockets. "Who's that?" The others looked up to to see me standing there and once again I was embarrassed to be seen in my new clothes like I was an imposter in their sacred circle.

" That is Darien. He's going to join us on our trip to San Francisco," Rei replied.

" His father wants to make him into a baby killer but we are going to change that and make him one of us," Serena added letting go of the blond girl and walking over to me. She grabbed my arm and led me to the group. " Everyone this is Darien. We picked him up to join us on our mission to end this war. Darien this is the group." She began to point to each person as she gave me their name. " This is Mina but we call her Arapohdite," she said pointing to the blond girl she had just been hugging.

Arapohdite smiled and winked at me. " If your baby killer then I can't trust you but if you are willing to join us on our trip then you have my heart."

Serena grinned and moved on to the tall brunette girl standing behind Arapohdite. " This is our resident mother Lita also known as Flower since she loves flowers."

Lita smiled at me and nodded her head but did not say anything.

" This is Ken who we call Coyote and Chad also known as Dancing Wolf because he can be silent like the wolf and he likes to dance." Chad and Ken looked me over once then smiled as if I had passed their test. " And last we have River," she pointed to a slender girl with short hair who was holding a book in her hand and was dressed in a soft blue tie dye dress with a blue head band around her forehead. She stepped forward and held out her hand to me which I shook.

" It is very nice to meet you," she said softly stepping back into the crowd and almost disappearing again. I could tell that she would be the quiet member of the group.

" And of course you know our wonderful leader and Fire who rode with us down here." Serena smiled up at me as she finished introducing the group. " These our the people we will be riding with on our trip to San Francisco." She turned back to the group. " Everyone we need to give Darien a name so he can truly be one of us!"

" Moon its not that easy to choose a name for someone who is so new to us. Give it time and a name will come to him," Tim gently interrupted. " In the mean time we will enjoy the night and welcome our newest member into the arms of our clan." Tim looked at me, a smile showing under his beard. " For now though we are hungry and could use some food. It has been awhile since we last ate."

Lita suddenly sprang into action and turned with a swirl of her skirt turned back to the van where the food obviously was. Serena led me towards the fire and directed me to sit down on the mats that had been placed in a circle around it. I did sit and she sat next to me while Rei moved away to talk to Chad who obviously looked happy at her arrival. Mina helped Lita get the food while Tim and Ken sat once again at the fire. Ami had set down her book and was pulling plates out cardboard box.

" We are not true hippies," Ken, Coyote, said as I watched Ami pull out three tin plates. " We do bath and wear different clothes for different days and we do eat off plates and use silverware but that is where the normal world ends."

Lita picked up where Ken left off. " We live under the stars. Tonight we'll sleep on blankets spread under the stars and tomorrow we will be off, headed farther west towards California." She took the plates from Ami and began piling food on them. " I'm guessing you are not used to this way of life."

I looked over at Serena who was watching Lita with hooded eyes but when she didn't say anything I spoke up instead. " No, I'm not really a part of this sort of lifestyle. I met Serena and the others when they came to the ice cream place where I was hanging out with my friends."

" He was a soul yearning to escape," Serena added. " His father wants to turn him into a baby killer. In fact he is going to be a baby killer. He has to report for basic training in a few weeks in California."

Tim and Ken both looked up from their side conversation while Mina bit her bottom lip as she knelt to hand me a plate of food. The others were silent until Lita spoke up. " I'm sorry that the food is not hot but knowing Tim I figured you were to hungry to care." With that my being a future baby killer was forgotten as Mina handed Serena her plate then backed away back towards where Lita stood.

I didn't say anything to bring back the conversation but instead looked down at my plate of food. On it was a couple chicken legs obviously baked over a fire, a cob of corn, and diced potatoes. I was suddenly ravenously hungry as I remembered our scant meal on the road of hard bread and peanut butter. Serena must have been hungry to because she was already eating. I too began to eat, taking the silverware Ami handed me and starting in on the potatoes. Lita picked up her wreath of flowers and sat with Mina next to her inside the van and went back to work. Rei soon joined us and took up her own plate of food while Chad wondered off, probably towards one of the many other fires burning all around us. When I had finished my last chicken leg Lita got up and took my plate away from me.

" We'll wash these in the river tomorrow when daylight comes back."

I nodded and watched her place the empty plate in the van before turning back to me. She seemed to be studying me critically but suddenly she smiled. " I see that you are wearing a string of love beads. Who gave them to you?"

My gaze flew down to the love beads around my neck but Serena spoke for me. "I did," she replied giving Lita the hint of a smile. Lita smiled back, a new understanding in her eyes but before she could reply music was coming from behind us. It came closer as we all turned to look. Chad was running back towards with others streaming forward behind him.

" Hey guys I brought the music!" He called as four men carrying instruments made of wood came up behind him and set up in the grass. Mina clapped her hands together and jumped out of the van while Lita set down her flowers and followed her into the grass where the others were mingling in groups. The musicians began to play their instruments and quite before I knew it everyone was dancing. Mina had grabbed Serena's hand and pulled her into the dark night away from the campfire where together they danced with the hypnotizing sound of the music. I was left alone by the campfire with Tim and Rei who obviously did not dance. But I didn't really see them; my mind was completely on watching Serena and the way her skirt twirled around her legs as she danced. Her blond hair flew away from her body as she turned first one way then the other all the time her hands raised to the sky. She must have seen me though because she suddenly stopped dancing and beckoned me to come forward. At first I shook my head but she beckoned again and smiled in this knowing seductive way. Entranced really by that smile I found myself getting up and walking into the dark to join her.

" Have you ever danced?" She asked taking my hands and placing them on her hips.

" Sure I've danced but not the way you are dancing right now," I replied my voice slightly shaky at the feel of her body underneath my hands. She just smiled again in that seductive way and moved her hips under my hands. " Let go of your inner inhibitions and just dance. Let go of everything and feel like your flying. There are no words to the music, just the beat so let the beat move you." She bent backwards till her long hair touched the ground and swung herself in a circle taking me with her. " Get it?" She asked rising again.

" Yea," I replied not wanting to let go of her. She smiled again and together we began to dance. I would let go of her waist only to take her hand and spin her around and sometimes bring her close to me. It was one of the wildest things I had ever done, to dance with a girl like this under the stars with only the fire light to break the dark. It was also one of the best things I had ever done. We must have danced all night but in truth it was only for a few hours. Finally around 2am by my watch the musicians packed up and went back to their camp. Everyone was still in high moods but sleep was fast catching up on them. Many people said goodnight and followed the musicians through the dark to their own campfires. Soon all that was left was Serena and I. Lita had disappeared to set out blankets, Mina and Ami were already asleep. Serena was looking at the others leaving her, from the slump of her shoulders I could tell she was tired. Her hand in mine was limp. When the last musician disappeared she turned to me.

" Lets go to bed." Even her voice sounded tired. I nodded my head and together we went back to the campfire where Lita sat banking the flames, the others were asleep in various places, Tim was lying on a mat near to the fire, Ami and Ken were asleep in the van. A little farther away Mina and the others lie on a pile of spread out blankets still dressed in their clothes. Serena led me over to them and let go of my hand so she could lie down. I did the same lying down next to her. We were facing each other on our sides. She reached over and took my hand from where it lay on the blanket, interlacing it with her own.

" Are you happy that you came out here?"

I nodded the best I could. " Yea I am."

She smiled. " I'm glad to hear that. I never want you to leave us." Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. My eyes were still open and looking at her. I knew that in a few weeks I would be leaving her, I still had my duty and obligation to the United States Army even if I felt a stronger pull towards this girl with the long blond hair and love beads around her neck.

" Wake up Darien."

It was my mother. I was late for school and she was trying to wake me, except I didn't want to get up. I was much too comfortable lying in my bed with the covers over my face.

" Darien wake up." She shook me gently on my shoulder. Go figure she would keep trying. She was always a stickler for making me get up for school. I rolled over onto my back and opened my eyes to a blue sky and white clouds and crouching next to me, Lita dressed in her green dress with a set of beads around her neck. The skin around her eyes crinkled into a smile.

" Good your awake. I was wondering if I had to pour a bucket of water over your head just to get you up."

I blinked once and rubbed my face with both hands. " Yea I'm awake. What's do you want?"

" I wanted you to help me with breakfast. The others are still asleep." She rose to her feet and looked down at me. " Well almost everyone is asleep. Tim is out in the prairie somewhere meditating."

I got up also. Serena still lay next to me asleep, her back to me on the plaid blanket which we lay on. Lita smiled and turned towards the fire which had burned out in the night. I followed her rubbing the sleep from my eyes and easing my aching joints, protesting in pain from sleeping on the hard ground.

" I need you to rebuild the fire for me. It burned out in the night. I would do it but I need to prepare the porridge and I figured you would be needed to do your fair share of work around here so here's your chance." She pointed to the fire then walked over to the van and climbed in to rummage through the boxes in there. I went over to the pile of wood by the back wheel and gathered some small sticks and a few larger logs and carried them over to the fire. I hadn't been a Boy Scout for nothing. Within minutes I had a bright fire burning as Lita climbed out of the van holding a box in her hands. She looked over at the fire and smiled.

" Let me guess, you were a Boy Scout?"

I grinned and stood up. " You guessed right."

" I was a Girl Scout myself. Maybe that's why I get along so good in nature, the girl scouts taught me how."

" Was Serena a Girl Scout?" I asked trying to casually bring her into the conversation.

Lita looked up from the box which she was unpacking and studied me, looking for a hidden meaning. She must have found it because she went back to unpacking while she spoke. " You really seem to have some kind of hold on Moon. This is the first time I've ever known someone of her soul to bring an outsider into our camp. Granted she's only been with us a short time, but from what I've known of her, she hates people of your type because they remind her of her family back home." Lita stood up and placed a frying pan next to the fire.

" If she hates me then why did she bring me?"

Lita shook her head. " No Darien, she doesn't hate you. She hates the type of people you represent. Let me guess your going to be a baby killer?"

" If you mean am I going into the army then your right. I'm due in a few weeks," I replied feeling a little testy.

" I thought so, Moon did mention it last night but I wanted to be sure so I woke you up early so we could talk." She spread out a clean blanket for me to sit on then went back to the van to get some food stuff. When she came back I was sitting on the blanket with my legs crossed looking into the fire. She set down another box containing food and began to rustle through it.

" You know you have some kind of power over Moon."

" What do you mean?" I asked feeling slightly suspicious.

" I mean that I've never seen her so happy before. She seems to glow when she's in your company. Last night I sat and talked with our leader, Tim, and he told me of how you joined the group through Serena's invitation. It makes me think that the feeling between you two is mutual. Especially since you joined a group of people you don't know and are probably against everything your father supports."

She had me there. Dad was completely against the hippies and everything they stood for. He was proud of the war in Vietnam and disgusted by the disgraceful patriotism of today's youth.

" Yet you threw off your father's teachings and joined a group of people with alien ways and ideas completely different from your own and I don't think its because you wanted to be a part of them or you would have joined long before this." Her eyes seemed to wander away from the eggs she was cracking to the place where everyone lay sleeping in blankets. My eyes followed hers to the sleeping profile of Serena lying with her face towards us, her head cradled in one arm. " She must mean a lot to you for you to leave the comfort of your home to travel with a bunch of strangers to San Francisco."

" How can she mean so much to me if I don't even know her?" I asked turning back to Lita who had resumed cracking eggs into a bowl.

" You don't need to completely know a person to fall in love with them." She dropped the last egg shell into a bowl and picked up a fork to beat the eggs while I let those last words sink in. Was I in love with Serena? I had definite affection for her and yea if something ever happened to her I would want to protect her but wouldn't I do that for all the women here? If something happened to Lita or Rei wouldn't I protect them too? I would but I didn't have the affection for them that I had for Serena. Serena was one in a million and the only girl I had ever known to make me feel that she needs to be protected by me as more then a friend but as a personal savior, but I knew. I wasn't in love with her.

" Darien don't let my words get to you like that. I was just speaking my mind and making sure I was right but if I was wrong then I am wrong. Stop running around in circles about this." She got up and poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan. " Instead why don't you help me make breakfast. I have nine hungry people to feed and could really use some help. You'll never understand how hard it is to make food for an army of people until you make it alone."

I smiled and pushed my thought's of Serena into the back of my head. " What do you need me to do?" I asked.

Lita looked up at me. " Do you know how to fry bacon?"

I nodded. She pointed her spatula towards the van behind her. " Somewhere in there there is a box of dried meat. In that box there is some bacon, why don't you bring that out and fry some up for us. Now you'll have to fry up a lot because there is a lot of us but there is no rush since the others won't get up till I wake them up."

I nodded again and got up to rustle through the van while Lita went back to her scrambled eggs. As if in a second thought she stopped again and looked up at me. " We also need to get you a name. You can't be Darien forever you know."

I just nodded and moved past her towards the van. What kind of crazy name could they give me that would possibly be better then the name I already had?

After breakfast made up of scrambled eggs, bacon fried by me, fried potatoes, and toasted bread we packed up our things into the van and the delectated school bus that turned out to belong to Chad. He had bought for a low price from his former high school and fixed it up himself. Inside a lot of the seats had been pulled out and thrown away so there was room to place things that were needed along the way like firewood and boxes of food and cooking utensils. In the front there were a few seats where everyone could sit and of course the driver's seat where Chad would sit driving the bus over bumpy roads and through grassy prairies.

The van belonged to Lita who had bought it when she was younger and was just becoming a hippie. She drove it herself and usually took Ami, Ken and Mina in it with her. Her van contained the food and the cooking supplies that were readily used while the rest where stowed away in Chad's bus.

Then there was Tim's van which was going to hold Serena, Rei, Tim, and I. Tim and I would take turns driving while Rei and Serena relaxed or switched between our van and Chad's bus. Chad was the only one to be driving alone but he didn't seem to mind. Rei told me that he liked to drive alone so he could crank up his music and sing out loud to himself. It turned out Chad was a struggling musician who was always writing songs and strumming on his guitar. He had joined the group because he had no where else to go after his high school graduation. His parents had wanted him to join the army but when he refused they kicked him out. He had been living on the streets for a few months when he met Tim and joined the group. He and Tim were the oldest members of the group and both had been there the longest. I guess you could say Chad was the second in command if you wanted to get technical but the true second leader was Lita who was like the mother of the group. She did all the cooking and cleaning and tried to keep everything in a somewhat civil manner. I had always thought hippies were a dirty lot that never bathed or took care of themselves but when you looked at Lita and the others you saw differently. They were clean, nicely dressed, and took care of themselves. They were nothing like the dirty hippies of my imagination.

When Lita had cleaned up camp and put out the fire we climbed into our respective vehicles and took off waving goodbye to others in the camp. Serena and I sat in the back again among the luggage that they had brought and the guitar case that belonged to Rei. She was waving from her window while I just sat there looking out the front window at the passing scenery of tents being taken down and people packing up boxes. Some where moving farther out west while other's were staying or going east to Washington. We were among the ones going west over dusty roads towards an uncertain future. At least it was an uncertain future for me. I was slowly being accepted into this group of people that I had no idea about.

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	5. San Francisco 5

San Francisco

Chapter Five

By A Shot of Amber

Remember that this story is set in 1967. Also this story is dealing with the use of now illegal substances. In the time period this story is set up in marijuana and LSD were not yet illegal so it was common for people to easily get a hold of them and take them. **I AM NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD USE DRUGS. **Drugs are bad and its stupid to take them, but I am being historically accurate. If you don't like to hear about drugs then I suggest you leave now and don't finish this story. Otherwise continue on. Also please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, flames, and suggestions to Thank you.

San Francisco

Chapter Five

" I could really use a bath," Mina complained pulling the neck of her dress away from her and waving her hand in front of it.

" Perhaps tomorrow we'll come upon water," Ken replied while he poked the fire with a stick to make the flames bigger.

" I hope so, I feel like a mess."

" When was the last time you bathed Aphrodite?" Serena asked from her position next to me.

" I don't even remember," she replied letting go of her neck band. " I guess it was when we came upon the last river but that was a week ago. So I guess it's been a week."

" That's about the same time for rest of us," Serena smiled in remembrance. "You should have seen Darien blush when I got down to my underwear."

Mina laughed and looked at me. " He is a blusher when it comes to girls. He blushed yesterday when my skirt blew up in that wind storm."

" How I was supposed to know that you weren't wearing underwear," I muttered more to myself then anyone else. Serena heard though and laughed. She slipped her arm through mine and pulled me closer. " Poor Darien," she mused softly so only I could hear.

" I finally found it!" Chad called walking over to use with a couple bags in his hand.

" Found what?" Ken asked looking up from the fire.

" The weed. I found where I hid the marijuana and the cubes. I thought I had lost them for good but they were under my seat the whole time." Chad sat down on a mat next to Rei who had been braiding a headband and set the bags in front of them. "Alright, who's in?"

" Count me out," Ken replied standing up. " I'll go see what River's doing instead." He walked off into the darkness.

" Marijuana? Doesn't that stuff give you a chemical high?" I asked watching as Chad poured out some green grass onto a piece of paper.

" It sure does. You want to try it?" Chad asked without looking up as he sealed the paper into a little roll then grabbed the bag of white cubes.

" I don't know," I began but was stopped by Serena's arm tightening around mine. " Don't leave Darien. It's not bad for you. I've tried it and the effects are fun. All you'll feel is dizzy."

I looked down at her. Her blue eyes were looking up into mine. She smiled softly, a little smile that some how knew I would cave in. I did. " Alright I'll try it," I replied looking away from her to blue eyes.

Her smile got bigger and she hugged my arm before turning to Chad. " Let me go first so he can see how its done."

" You got it Moon." Chad stood up and pulled a white cube out of his bag. She stuck out her tongue and he placed it on it. Then he lit the marijuana on the fire while taking a few puffs before handing it to her. She took it one hand squeezing it between her index finger and thumb and inhaled deeply. The whole time I watched as she did this so easily and so simply, but what where the white cubes for?

" See its easy," Serena replied looking over at me and smiling. Her eyes I noticed were slightly dilated. " You still want to try?"

" Yea, give me a hit," I replied reaching for the marijuana but she stopped me.

" First you need a cube." Chad handed her the bag and she pulled a small one out of it. " Stick out your tongue." I did. She placed the cube on my tongue and I pulled it into my mouth. It didn't really taste like sugar; in fact it didn't really taste like anything. Maybe it was because it was under a school bus seat. " Now take a hit and breathe deeply all the time sucking on the cube." She handed me the marijuana and I took brought it to my lips and took an inhale. The smoke burned my throat but I forced it done into my lungs then breathed again.

Serena was smiling. " Good. You'll feel the affects soon enough." Already the pupils of her eyes were enormous.

" What is that? Sugar? Because if it is tastes kind of strange," I said holding my head as a slight dizzy spell came on.

" That's not sugar man," Chad replied. " That was LSD."

I looked up at Chad then at Rei who had stopped braiding and was watching me then I looked at Serena who was also looking at me with a slightly worried look on her face. I could almost hear my father's voice screaming in my ear about me taking psychedelic drugs. Then I looked into Serena's eyes, those true blue eyes with their large black pupils and smiled. The worried look disappeared from her face and she smiled also. My father wasn't here right now.

As the tense mood passed and the bag of LSD emptied I began to feel the affects of the drug on me. Everything was a swirl of lights and color. The flames dancing in the sky. The stars falling to the Earth. Serena swaying in time to the sound of Mina singing a song. Then she stood up and pulled me up with her.

" Dance with me. Twirl me into the stars," she whispered pulling me out into the darkness away from the fire while Mina's singing seemed to grow louder. Then it was surrounding us and I was flying on the wings of a dove, a dove with long blond hair and a white dress. We danced underneath the stars, me twirling her first one way then another while we laughed. I never wanted to come down from the affects of this high. I wanted to be alone with her. I wanted to take her face in my hands and kiss her until she was half dead from lack of air. I wanted to dance with her all night.

" Say you'll never leave me," she whispered into my ear as I pulled her close to my body, the leather fringe on her vest knotting against my chest.

" I'll never leave you," I whispered taking her face in my hands and leaning down to kiss her. " I can't leave you. You poisoned my soul," I whispered against her lips. She just smiled and leaned in a little closer. We kissed there together under the star light with the sounds of Mina's singing far away by the fire.

Gradually I came down off my high to a cold reality of dizzy spells and shaking tremors. Serena and I lay underneath the stars in the grass of the prairie while I fought the after affects of the drug. She held me close to her, one arm wrapped around my chest while my hand rested on top of hers. We were watching the stars as they slowly stopped spinning and finally came to a complete rest. They were still in that black patch of sky above us.

" I finally came up with your name Darien."

" What do you mean?" I asked feeling slightly drowsy. The dizzy spells were gone now and I was left feeling tired and weak.

" Your name that signifies you as part of the group. I thought of it when you and I were dancing. You should be called Earth."

" Why Earth?"

She sat up and looked down at me lying in the grass. " Because my name is Moon and the Moon and Earth are connected and we are connected. You are the Earth and I am the Moon."

" I love it when you speak like that," I replied.

She inched closer to me so are faces were even with each other. "Say you'll never leave me Earth. Say you'll stay with me forever."

" I'll always be with you Moon." I replied tightening my grip around her waist.

She smiled and leaned down to kiss me which I eagerly accepted. A soft kiss that meant so much to the two of us lying in the green grass under the black prairie sky.

In the morning I woke up to the sounds of Lita calling for us. We had fallen asleep under the stars. Her hand clasped tightly in mine like she was afraid I was going to leave her. My shoulder ached from sleeping on the hard ground and as I sat up it protested in pain.

Lita spotted us rising out of the tall grass and came towards us carrying a thermos of water in her hand.

" There you are. I was wondering where you were all night."

" I'm sorry Flower. We must have fallen asleep underneath the stars," Serena replied rubbing her own sore shoulder then reaching out for the water.

" You must have after the drugs finished taking affect. I heard Chad was giving everyone Angel Dust last night around the camp fire. Did you give him some?"

Serena lowered the water and nodded. " He took it on his own accord and now he is one of us. I gave him his name last night."

" Oh really what is it?" Lita asked turning to me.

" Earth," I replied cracking my shoulder once to relieve some of the pain then taking the water from Serena. My throat was dry and parched.

" The moon's natural partner," Lita mummered then smiled. " It's a good name. Welcome to the group Earth. I will make sure to tell Tim but for now you two may want to come back. We are packing up to leave. We have to still get through the desert." She turned to leave then stopped and looked over her shoulder.

" I'll make sure no one asks what you were doing out here alone." With that she turned and walked off leaving us alone. I was about to say something but Serena stopped me. She took my arm and lowered it to my side and wrapped her hand around it. " Don't Earth. She understands well enough. She's protecting us."

I looked down at her then back to Lita. She was protecting us? From what?

In camp everyone was packing their things and loading them into their respective vehicles. Ami say us first and blushed before turning away and handing Ken a box. Ken though smiled and nodded at me. Serena pulled me forward though towards Tim's van where Rei was loading her guitar case in. She saw us and stopped pushing the case in though. She looked at Serena's hand clutched in mine then climbed into the van and shuffled through something. I was half expecting her to pull out a knife and slash me with it but she didn't, she instead pulled out a head band.

" Lita told me that you have been christened so I give you this." She climbed out of the van and handed me the head band then smiled as she met my eyes. " Welcome to the group Earth. Take good care of her."

I nodded moved by the knowing and serenity in Rei's eyes. Just then Tim came from behind and clasped one arm around my shoulders causing the pain of them to start again.

" As the leader of the group I want to welcome you properly Earth. No matter where you go you'll know that you are always welcome with us." Then he sort of hugged me, let go and turned to Serena. " My dove as grown up and found her wings," he said hugging her tightly. She smiled and kissed him. " I have Tim, I have." I didn't really understand what he was talking about but she seemed to understand.

" Now we should get going. We have a full day of driving to do," Tim said letting go of Serena and turning to Rei and I. " Rei you got your stuff?"

" Yea, everything but the guitar case fits," Rei replied heading off with Tim towards the van leaving Serena and I alone. I looked down at the head band which was brown leather braided with a piece of green and blue cloth.

" Its like the Earth," Serena whispered coming closer to me and looking down at the headband too. She then took it in her hands and held it up. " Bend down." I did and she tied it around my forehead much like the one around hers was tied. " There now you look even more handsome." I smiled as I stood up again. " Just like you are beautiful." She grinned and reached up to kiss me.

" Come on you two! We're going now!" Rei called from inside the van. Serena let go of me and smiled. She then took my hand and we climbed into the van with me shutting the door behind myself. Somehow Rei had managed to get her guitar case in but it was somewhat cramped in the back as Serena and I took our seats.

Tim climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine while behind us the other's climbed into their cars and slammed their doors shut. The last one in was Ami who came running from the prairie with something in her hands that she must have forgotten. Ami climbed into Lita's van and then we were off. We headed to through the tall grass towards the highway again and back towards are destination, California.

" We must be in Utah now," Rei said as we got on the road nearly scaring an old couple in a Cadillac as we drove over the edge of the road and passed them.

" Were about to enter Nevada in an hour," Tim replied as the others lurched onto the road behind us. " Prepare for the desert girls. Its going to get hot and dry."

" I guess that rules out a bath," Serena replied petting her hair gingerly.

" If we find water you can take one but I highly doubt we are going to find water in the desert," Tim replied.

" Damn," Serena mummered.

" Are you just saying that because you want me to see you in your underwear again?" I whispered into her ear. She just laughed and pushed me away. " Earth you are bad!"

" Hey you two! There are other people in the car you know," Rei yelled back then turned on the radio. I just sat back and put my arm around Serena who curled up next to me. We had a whole day of driving ahead of us.

It did get hot. By noon Serena had shed her vest and rolled up her sleeves. She had taken to fanning herself with a piece of paper while Tim had cranked up the air conditioning.

By the late afternoon we couldn't stand it anymore and Tim finally pulled off the road and found us a spot to camp by a small stream with some scraggily trees to give us shade. As soon as the engine was turned off Serena alighted and was running back towards the school bus where Mina and the others had ridden. I climbed out also and fanned myself with my hand. I had never been to the desert so I wasn't used to this heat which seemed to surround me and choke the very living breath out of me.

" Its hot isn't it?" Tim asked coming up next to me and shoving his hands in his back pockets.

" I've never felt heat like this," I replied.

" That's because you are from back east. Out west in the desert like this it gets real hot. Except till night fall then you'll see. It will get freezing cold. We'll probably want to sleep in the cars tonight or at least near the fire."

" I take that you've done this before?"

" I'm 30 years old Earth. I've been doing this since I was young even before the hippie movement started. I left my parents when I was 18 and that was in 1955 and traveled to California. That was during the beatnik movement. I hated California though so I bought this van and drove all the way to New York and joined a commune. That was where I was introduced to the hippie movement and living with nature. I guess you could say I'm the only true believer here. The rest are just kids out of high school looking to rebel against their parents and the World War Two generation."

I looked at Tim. I mean really looked at him for the first time and saw what everyone else missed. A man with no place to go in his world so he went to stay in the world of children. If he had stayed with his parents he would have married his high school sweetheart and had children in a suburban house. He would have never seen the world and driven around the country in a beat up van. Instead he would be seeing his children skip off the school and cursing the war in Vietnam quietly from his living room in front of the TV. Instead he choose this life, a life of unexpected happiness and sadness but a life all the same. He would never see his children skip off the school and his high school sweetheart, if he had had one was married to someone else now. Suddenly I had a new respect for Tim and what he was doing. He was the father figure of this group just like Lita was the mother. He was taking children who had no place to go and protecting them from the mean cold world. I wanted to hug him but I didn't instead I clasped one hand on his shoulder as if to show him I understood. He understood my gesture and smiled.

" You're a good man Darien. I'll be sorry when you leave us."

" I think Serena will be the sorriest of all," I replied looking over to where she stood talking to Mina and Ami.

Tim nodded and removed his hands from his pockets. " You're the first person who's made her come alive like that. I know it will hurt when you leave us but she'll understand one thing, I know you'll come back." He smiled. " We might as well un-pack," he said terminating the intimate conversation we had just had. I nodded and followed him towards Lita's van.

Lita and Ami prepared the meal for that night. Ken who obviously was very attached to Ami stayed with them and prepared a fire for them to cook on. The rest of us including Tim went to the small creek and took our baths. Lita had soap and shampoo in her van so we all could wash our hair. It felt good for the first time to get all the dirt and grime off of me as I scrubbed at my skin with the soap. Serena stayed close to me, dressed in her white underwear as she scrubbed the cinnamony smelling shampoo into her hair. She smiled at me once as she knelt down and washed the suds out of her hair. I could only watch as the white foam revealed blond locks wet from the water.

" I have got to change my clothes," Rei grumbled as she climbed out of the creek and squeezed the excess water out of her hair.

" I should to, but I like the white dress," Serena replied washing the last of the subs from her hair and standing up. " I'll just wash it in the creek and let it dry over night."

" But then what will you wear?" I asked a little astonished that she would run around in nothing but her underwear around all the guys in camp.

" I have another dress to wear," she replied climbing out of the creek also and headed over to where her clothes lay. I followed suit and grabbed my stuff. I was soaking wet but the heat would dry me fast as I pulled on my shirt and pants again and then tied my head band back on. " Do you want me to help you?"

Serena stood up with the dress in her hand. " There's not much to be done except to scrub the dress with soap and hang it on a tree but if you want to keep me company I would like that."

I nodded and followed her down to the creek bed. She went back into the water while I sat on the bank and watched as she wet the dress down then got down to the job of scrubbing it with the bar of soap.

" So what do you think of us now?" Serena asked without looking up.

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" Well you've been with us for awhile now. Though it feels a lot longer then the short time that you've really been here. Soon we'll enter California and San Francisco then our trip will be over. Oh you'll love San Francisco. It's really beautiful there with all these old Victorian houses and the free love and peace. It's such a peaceful place. Chad likes it because you can buy drugs right off the streets for cheap prices and get high any place you want. Rei likes it because you can make money singing with your guitar and I like it because you'll be there."

I didn't say anything to this. I was due to basic training in about a week. We would enter California in two days. How I was supposed to tell her that no matter what was going between us, I still had to go. I couldn't say no to the United States Army simply because I met a girl. Even though the girl was like no one I had ever met. Tim was right, she was like a bird. The most beautiful bird I had ever seen.

Serena climbed out of the water and walked past me towards one of the trees. She hung up her dress on a branch and spread it out so it dried evenly. "I don't really like the blue dress but it'll do till this one dries." She patted the dress once then sat back down next to me. The sun was setting in the sky in front of us. It was a golden ball of flames that sent a golden light over everything.

Have you ever noticed that certain kind of light that comes with the sunset? It's this beautiful golden light with this tinge of pink that lights up a person's skin and hair and makes them look like the most beautiful person on Earth. I hope you've noticed it because I did as we sat there. She slipped her arm through mine and placed her head on my shoulder. I twined my fingers through hers and looked down at her. That golden light and flushed her skin making her look so beautiful. It almost took my breath away to see her like this. I had to look back at the sunset just to breathe again.

" I wish it could be like this forever," Serena whispered softly. " I wonder how I ever lived before meeting someone like you Earth."

" You know I'm still not used to my new name," I replied laughing slightly.

She smiled and looked up. " Would you prefer it if I called you Darien, Darien?"

" Only if I can call you Serena, Moon."

She placed her head back on my shoulder and sighed. " No one really calls me Serena anymore. I don't think anyone's called me Serena since I left my parents and moved in with Tim. But this is different so I would like it if you called me Serena. It makes me feel sort of alive again."

" You are alive," I replied. " You are the most living person I've ever met. I've never known anyone like you."

" Maybe that's why Tim says I'm a dove. I can fly with my wings but I don't want to fly alone anymore. I want you to fly with me."

I didn't say anything to that. My thoughts were still on the fact that in a week I was due to basic training. In a week I would get my regulation hair cut and my army green and in a month I would be shipped off to Vietnam. I didn't want to give her up, and maybe I wouldn't have to if she would wait for me to come back. I know I would count the days until I returned if she was willing to wait.

" Hey you two! Dinner's ready!" Rei called from the trees where she stood. We looked up at her slightly startled out of our revere. " Flower sent me to get you two and to tell Serena to get dressed. Now that the sun is setting its going to get cold." With that she turned and walked off. Serena disentangled herself from me and stood up. " I guess we should go. I am a little cold."

I nodded and stood up also then stopped to look at the sunset. It was just sinking below the horizon. The last golden rays shining down on us. " Darien are you coming?" Serena asked turning back to me. One hand was held out for me to take. I turned around and looked at her. Then I smiled and took her hand. She smiled back and together we walked up the hill towards the camp.

Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you!


	6. San Francisco 6

San Francisco

Chapter Six

By A Shot of Amber

This is going to be the last chapter of the story. Thank you everyone for coming this far. I started this story at first with a lot of ideas but as school progressed I got busy so I'm wrapping it up now. Thank you so much for your reviews and compliments. But still don't forget to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you.

San Francisco

Chapter Six

San Francisco. We finally made it. The van crested a hill and then we were in the city. Over the fog of the bay into a clean and clear city. We had driven through the mountains and entered California yesterday. Once over the border we camped for the night then progressed on across the state till we entered the city three days before I was due for basic training.

If we made a strange sight, two vans and a school bus, but no one seemed to notice. People instead waved to us as we entered the Haight. On the streets men and women alike danced and performed hoping to be noticed and sent into the national spotlight with their music and performance. In the back of Tim's car I could only watch as we drove past immaculate Victorian houses into the poorer district of San Francisco. This is where we would be. Tim knew of a place were we could make up a home. It was a communal building that belonged to his friends. There in the rooms these people would make their living hoping for something better. At least Mina and Rei would. I knew Tim wanted to leave soon for Washington. He was only happy when he was driving through the country, he would never be happy settled down in San Francisco.

" Oh isn't it beautiful?" Serena sighed clutching my arm tightly as she looked out my window along with me. I nodded but my thoughts were else where. Some where in this city my parents were waiting for me. Before we had left a small town in Nevada, I had called them. My mom had answered the phone, at first I didn't know what to say but the words flowed out anyway.

" Mom, its Darien."

" Oh my God," she whispered then probably clutched her chest. I could see her doing it in my mind. " Darien? My baby?"

" Mom, its alright. Calm down. I'm fine."

" Where have you been for these past two weeks?" She cried into the phone her scared persona gone and the real mother coming out. " Your father and I have been worried sick about you since we got that note."

" I told you that I would be gone for a few weeks. I met some hippies and I've been traveling with them," I replied suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed at the truth of it all.

" You've been with hippies?" My father's voice yelled into the line. Obviously he had picked up the other phone. " What son of mine runs around with dirty hippies? You are better then that! You are going into the army and you are going to be man and what do you do? You run around the country with hippies in a bus while your mother and I worry sick about you at home. Your mother practically had a heart attack when she read your note the day you left. I wanted to call the police and almost did but I thought it was just a hoax and that you and Andrew had run off with some girls for the night."

" Dad why would I do that?" I asked. " Don't you know me at all?"

" No, son. I do not," my father replied. " When Andrew came by that day asking for you I knew something was up and I was right. You left the comfort of your home and life to run around with people that have no sense in their heads."

" Dad these people have a lot sense and the reason I left was because I met a girl. The most beautiful girl in the world and I love her and I want to be with her. I don't want to go into your stupid army. I want to be with her." I was angry and my voice was conveying it. I knew my words were in vain and that I would be going but I still said them anyway.

" Oh Darien," my mother sighed with tears in her voice.

" Darien, I don't care that you love some hippie girl. I want you to listen to me. You are enlisted in the best God damned army on the face of the planet. You are going to be a solider. You are going to teach the Viet Cong that you can't mess with an American. I don't want to hear that you ran away with some girl when you have the rest of your life to live."

Deep down inside something wanted to rebel, to hang up the phone, to leave the phone booth where I stood and to never talk to my parents again. I was no longer Darien Shields. I was Earth now. But I didn't, I didn't hang up the phone and in that second Darien Shields replaced the man named Earth.

" Your mother and I are coming to San Francisco. We are going to stay at the Regency hotel and when you get there we expect you to meet us there. We need to get back into shape. The army doesn't accept weaklings which you have become. You are going to be a man Darien and when you return if you still love that girl then you can pursue her. Until then forget her, she's a hippie and she's not your type."

" That's a contradiction dear," my mother replied softly.

My father just grumbled something and hung up the phone. " Darien I want you to be safe," my mother said to me as we were once again alone on the line. " I know you must love this girl and she's probably lovely but you must fulfill your father's wish. He wanted you to be in the army ever since you were born. This war is the perfect excuse for him."

" Don't worry mom. I'll see you when I arrive in San Francisco," I replied then hung up the phone and left the phone booth. I was disgusted with myself right now.

Now I stood in front of the Regency Hotel alone dressed in my old clothes. They were rumpled and slightly dirty but I knew I would never get inside in my new clothes. Earth was shut down deep inside and Darien was alive again. I walked into the hotel through the revolving glass door towards the lobby where my parents waited. I looked like a kid on his way to being punished and in fact I was. I was too old to be spanked but there was another way to punish me, I was going to be shipped off to Vietnam and an uncertain future.

My parents were sitting on the red plush chairs around a small wooden table. As I came forward my father stood up followed by my mother. She was clutching a handkerchief in her hand and her purse in the other. I took a deep breath and walked forwards towards them and hugged her. She cried as her arms went around me and gave me a good squeeze. I let go of her and turned to my father. His hands were in his pockets and he didn't remove them as he looked at me. Our eyes met but there was no exchange of pleasantry.

" I see your not wearing their clothes," he said gruffly.

" I left them back at the place. I didn't want you to see them," I replied.

" That's good. It would probably shock your poor mother."

She slipped her arm around me and looked at me. " Oh Darien your thinner. Have they been feeding you?" She asked.

" Yea Flower, I mean Lita is a great cook. I eat more then I should. It was fun mom and they were all very nice to me especially Serena. She's the best thing that ever happened to me." My mother smiled but my father said nothing but instead looked away.

" You report to basic training tomorrow Darien. I suggest you say goodbye to these friends of yours and come back here tonight. Your mother wants to say goodbye to you properly before you leave."

I nodded and let go of my mother. " I can't guarantee that I'll come back tonight. I want the night to say goodbye to my friends but I will return in the morning. Don't you worry about me. San Francisco is the safest place to be when you're with friends." With that I hugged my mother again, nodded to my father and walked off headed towards the doors. They could have stopped me, but they didn't. Instead they watched me go. My back was straight and my step was sturdy as I disappeared through the glass doors onto the street.

Once outside I took a deep breath and sighed. Tonight would be my last night with Serena. She didn't know that my parents were here and she didn't know that tomorrow I would be leaving her. I looked down at the clothes I was wearing then turned and walked off. Lita and Ami had watched me leave. Serena had gone with Rei to make some money on the streets. They would be back at night fall. Until then I would plan how I would say goodbye to her.

When I returned Lita handed me my clothes and the string of love beads that Serena had given me. I changed into them and put my clothes back into their hiding place. We were staying in an old abandoned building full of people just like us. Everyone cooked in the communal kitchen and slept in their own separate rooms. From the windows you had a magnificent view of the bay. I looked at that window at the Golden Gate Bridge while behind me Lita watched.

" She's going to be heart broken that you are leaving us," Lita said softly.

" I know," I replied lowering my head from the view.

" If there was a way to make you stronger I would use it Earth but I can't so instead I give you this." She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was a small circular object with a weave like a spider's web in the middle.

" It's a dream catcher. It will bring you good luck in the war. I wish you could stay with us forever Earth but I know that you can't so I won't give you harsh words or empty promises. Instead I'll give you this and a hug because a hug always makes a person feel better." She stepped forward and hugged me tightly. " Please come back to us Darien. You're the best thing that's happened to Serena in a long time." With that she turned and walked off, back down the stairs to the kitchen on the first level. I watched her go then I looked down at the dream catcher. I would always carry it into battle with me no matter where I went.

Later that afternoon Rei and Serena returned. With the money they had they bought us food that we ate that night in the light of the setting sun. That golden light was shining through the windows onto Serena who sat next to me. She still didn't know I was leaving so her face was happy as she ate. I was heartbroken and afraid to tell her but I had to so after we were done, I took her hand and asked her to take a walk with me.

" Where are we going Darien?" She asked as we left the building and walked through the darkening streets.

" No where. I just wanted to walk," I replied tightening my grip on her hand. She looked at me oddly but didn't say anything. Instead we walked through the streets till we were on top of a hill looking down on San Francisco.

" This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen," I whispered softly.

" Yea it is," she replied moving closer to me and putting both arms around my waist.

" Serena…" I hesitated. I was afraid to tell her but then the words poured out just like they had done for my mother. " My parents are in the city." She didn't say anything but her grip got tighter. "I'm leaving tomorrow for basic training." I turned and took her hands into mine. " I want you to know its killing me to leave you but I have to. I can't hide from the United States Army."

Her eyes were enormously blue in the street lights. She didn't say anything but all of a sudden she started fighting me, cries like an animal coming from inside her. I held on tightly and pulled her closely to me, clasping her to my chest. Eventually she stopped crying and put her arms around me. Her harsh words of let me go and I hate you died in the air and instead it was just us and the silence. She was crying now, softly, no tears just the feeling.

" I don't want you to go. I know you'll die there," she cried softly into my shirt.

" Serena, I'm not going to die there. I'm going to get out of this alive and then I'm going to come back and we'll be together. It's just like my parents and yours and World War Two. The men went off to battle and the women waited for them and they came back and they were together again. It'll be just like that. I'll go off to battle and then I'll come back and we'll be together again." I was looking into her eyes now holding her hands tightly in my own.

" I don't think I can wait that long," she whispered sadly.

" But you have to. Serena if I had known you before I enlisted I would have never done it. I met you the night I graduated from high school and became a man. If I had known I would meet someone like you I would have given up high school and becoming a man and everything else just to be with you. None of it matters except you being happy."

" But I'm happy with you," she cried softly, the tears starting anew. I took her and held her gently against my body while she cried again. I think even I cried a little bit as we stood there on top of the hill under a street light wishing that time would stop and morning would never come.

Eventually I took her back to the building. Everyone had left for the night to see the wild party scene of San Francisco. We instead lay down in her bed and I held her close to me as I just looked into her eyes while she stroked my face with her own cold fingers. We stayed that way until we fell asleep.

Now some of you are probably wondering why I didn't sleep with her but you have to understand something. This was too sad a moment to waste it with sex. I loved her more then just a bond of sleeping with her would bring. Also it would break her heart even more in the morning when I left. And I guess the real reason was because I was only 18 years old and she was only 15 years old. She was still some what of a child in my eyes even though she was the most grown up person I've ever met. So instead I just held in her arms and let myself fall asleep next to her. The others eventually returned but they didn't disturb us so we slept until morning when the rising sun woke me up.

I sat up in the bed and look out the window at the sky turning blue. I knew it was time for me to leave. I quietly slipped out of bed and got my old clothes out. I changed in a side room figuring that no one was awake but I was wrong. As I came back out into the main room I saw Tim standing by his bed.

" So your leaving us Earth."

" Yes I am." I handed him his folded clothing. " Thanks for letting me borrow these."

" Anytime man, anytime." He set fingered the shirt gently then looked up at me. "Stay safe in Vietnam. Don't let yourself get killed and come back to us. You know there's always going to be a place for you in here."

" I know," I replied then smiled. " Thank you Tim for being so good to these people. Without you I don't know what would happen to them especially Serena."

Tim just smiled. " I don't know either and I don't want to think about it. I love them because they love me and accept me. That's all I ask."

I placed one hand on Tim's shoulder and squeezed it softly. " You're a good man Tim. I'll never forget you."

" As the same for you," Tim replied. We smiled at each other then I turned and walked away. I picked up my bag then walked down the stairs and out of their lives.

At the hotel I met my parents in their room and took for the first time in a few weeks a real shower and a real shave. I dressed in the clothes my mother brought me and combed my hair neatly, it didn't really matter though. It was going to be shaved off by tomorrow anyways.

" I want you to know Darien that I'm proud of you for doing this," my father said as I left the bathroom and shut off the light.

" I know dad, I know."

We left the hotel and headed for the recruitment station which would take me to the camp. I sat in the back of the car that my father had rented and watched the buildings go past. The bus to take me was already there and a group of people were milling around it. My father parked his car and we climbed out. I grabbed my suitcase from the back and walked towards the bus. My mother was crying again, she always did cry a lot. My father was quiet. I was quiet to and looked almost dead as we came upon the group. Maybe I was dead, dead inside because I was finally fulfilling my father's wish for me to be a man.

" All recruitments line up here to get on the bus!" A man yelled. The other young men in the crowd began lining up. I turned to my mother and set down my suitcase. "Take care mother. I'll miss you," I said hugging her tightly.

" I'll miss you to Darien," she cried hugging me just as tightly.

I then turned to my father but he only held out his hand. " Take care son." I shook it and nodded. " I will dad."

If you didn't notice my father and I never hugged. He was so removed from me that even though I may never see him again he still wouldn't hug me. He was too much of a man to show affection to his only son. I would notice this in the fields of Vietnam.

I picked up my suitcase and was headed for the line when someone called my name. I recognized that voice. I would recognize it in my dreams. I would always recognize it. It was Serena. I turned around and searched for her then I spotted her. She was running towards me with something in her hand, her white skirt fluttering behind her. " Darien!" She yelled again as she saw me.

I set down my suitcase and ran towards her catching her in my arms. " Darien how could you leave me without saying goodbye?" She asked breathing slightly heavily from her run.

" I didn't want to wake you," I replied feeling all the joy in the world that she was here.

" You can't leave yet. You almost forgot these." She let go of me and stepped back to open her hand show me something. It was the head band that Rei had given me and the string of love beads that Serena had put my around my neck when we first met. I took them from her and looked at them. " I'm sorry I almost forgot them," I said softly.

" Carry them into battle with you. They'll be your good luck charms," she replied taking the love beads from me and slipping them around my neck.

" I will," I replied bending forward so she could reach then I stood up and smiled down at her. She smiled back then she reached up and kissed me, one final kiss of goodbye. I hugged her tightly standing there in the street while my parents watched.

" Darien you need to get going," my father called breaking into our scene.

I let go of her and smiled down at her. " I'll be back."

" Hopefully soon," she replied petting the love beads once then letting go of me. I turned and picked up my suit case and climbed onto the bus. Once inside I picked one of the empty back seats and sat down. Outside Serena stood next to my parents watching me while I watched her. My mother was waving her handkerchief. My father had his hands in his pockets and Serena was clutching her hands to her chest. As the bus engine roared to life and began to move I smiled at her and she smiled back then she let go of her hands and raised one of them in a peace sign to me while her lips moved in silent words. I will never forget it. She was saying I love you.

We wrote each other even after she left San Francisco for Washington D.C. Rei didn't make it too well as a singer on the streets so she went with them while the others stayed behind. I got through basic training just fine and was soon shipped off to Vietnam with my platoon. I had made friends with some of the other guys in the group. They all had girls back home too but none as special as mine. I kept a picture of her that she had given me in my left coat pocket wherever I went even when I was in the plane headed overseas to Vietnam. I wrote my parents too and received in reply letters from my mom. My dad never wrote me but from what I heard he was proud of me for what I was doing. Near the end I got disgusted by his pride especially in one battle that I would never forget.

Tim pulled into the driveway of the nice looking suburban house and cut the engine. Serena who sat in the front seat opened her door and slipped out onto the driveway. It had been two months since she last heard from Darien. She had gotten two of her letters back from her new address in Washington. They were both addressed to Darien Shields and in her own hand writing. When she had received them she knew it was time to go and see his parents.

" Do you want me to go with you?" Tim asked as she closed the door.

" No, I want to do this alone," she replied shaking her head and walking up the side walk to the front door.

Serena knocked once then twice. She then stood there and waited. The door soon opened revealing a dry eyed Mrs. Shields. She looked at Serena for a moment then smiled in remembrance. " You're the girl that Darien loved aren't you? Please come in. My husband is upstairs but I'll call him down." Serena entered the house, this time through the front door and took a seat in the living room. Mrs. Shields called her husband down and together they took a seat on the couch opposite Serena.

" I wanted to ask you about Darien. I got these back." Serena pulled out her two letters and handed them to Mrs. Shields. Mrs. Shields took them and looked at Darien's name on the envelope. Then she began to cry and looked behind Serena to the window showing the front yard. Mr. Shields put his arm around Mrs. Shields and looked at the window too. Serena looked confused for a moment then turned around herself. In the window was a small flag with a gold star on it. Those flags hung in the windows of families who had a son in combat. The blue star meant that you had someone in combat. The silver star meant they had been wounded. The gold star meant they had been killed in action. A gold star hung in the front window of the house where any passer by could see it. Darien had been killed in action.

For a second her heart stopped beating but then painfully it started again. Mrs. Shields was crying into her husbands shoulder. " He was killed last month in a fight with the Viet Cong near the border of South Vietnam and North Vietnam," Mr. Shields said softly, the pain in his voice evident while Serena clutched at the cloth of her skirt covering her knees.

" We didn't know how to get a hold of you and tell you," he added. " So we waited. My wife thought you would come. She knew that you remembered where Darien had lived so when we got the telegram we waited. It took you a month but you're here. Darien died like a man though. He died a hero's death. He was a man till the end. There there honey it will be okay," he said to his wife patting her hand.

" Darien is dead…Earth is dead," she whispered softly to herself as if though she didn't believe it. But she did, she believed it all to well. He had said he would come back to her and they would be together again. She had seen them lying under the stars again like the night they had taken the drugs with his arms around her and her falling asleep on his shoulder. She had seen him stepping off bus a year from now and running towards her to hug and kiss her. She had seen him every night in her dreams. Now she would never see him again.

Serena stood up and smiled weakly at Darien's parents. " I'm sorry for your loss and thank you for telling me." With that she walked out of the room and out the front door, shutting it behind her. Outside the sun was shining but Serena didn't feel its warmth. She opened her door and climbed into the van. Tim looked at her face which was cold as stone. He understood almost immediately and as if his old Christian training had come back to him he crossed himself. " God bless his soul, he was a good man."

" Please lets just go," Serena whispered softly.

Tim nodded and started the van up. He backed out of the driveway and down the street. The house soon disappeared over the horizon. They passed the ice cream parlor which was closed for the day. The place where she had first met him. They passed the drive in movie theatre, the place where he had agreed to join her group. They passed the edge of town and drove out onto the highway and out of the town where she had met him on that night when hippies had first entered their town. She sat there numb with her memories and only once when they were out of the town on the highway heading south did she allow herself to cry.

The End. Sorry but I had to give it a sad ending. Vietnam was not a happy war and this was quite common. If you hate me for doing then write me a flame but I'm not changing the ending. I didn't want this to end with fluff when it was such a serious war. So many young men were drafted for this including perhaps your father or your teacher. One of my professors is a Vietnam veteran and he only talks about the war with serious matter if he talks about it at all. Many Vietnam vets won't even talk about the war; it was a horrible experience to them. I've learned that in my history classes and from working with veterans of war. So man young men died in this war. I couldn't make it a fluff story when it was so serious. Anyway thank you for staying till the end. Please remember to read and review or send all comments, questions, suggestions, and flames to Thank you.


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